LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue addressed Friday’s 117-112 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center, calling the second-half performance a learning moment. “We didn’t execute good against the zone, and that’s what allowed them to get back in the game,” Lue said, reflecting on the Spurs’ comeback from a 25-point deficit.
Lue praised key performances in San Antonio’s rally, noting, “Champagnie got going…Fox came out in the second half being aggressive, only having two points at halftime and ended up with 19…he got really aggressive, got what he wanted, got to his spots.” He added that Champagnie’s shooting sparked momentum: “Champagnie had two points at halftime and then got going from three and gave them some life.”
The Clippers struggled to counter the Spurs’ zone defense. “The zone made us really stagnant…we didn’t execute well against it,” Lue said, emphasizing that San Antonio’s defensive adjustment disrupted LA’s rhythm. He added, “Mitch [Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson] did a great job going zone. I don’t think they could stop us offensively, so he went zone to make us stagnant.”
Lue also highlighted late-game execution issues. “Two free throw rebounds…we fouled, missed two free throws, didn’t get the rebound…those are little things we have to learn from and get better with,” he said, stressing the importance of focus in crunch time.
He explained a specific play breakdown, noting, “The play for Derrick Jones gets the three-point play…Nico, a trusted hand as always in those moments, wasn’t inbound…he just thought Wemby was kind of playing in between, but it happens.”
Despite Kawhi Leonard’s 30 points and Brook Lopez’s 26, the Clippers couldn’t hold their 25-point lead. Lue reflected on the first half: “It was a good half…we didn’t finish it off the way we wanted…just changing the flow of the game by going zone really hurt us.”
The loss ended LA’s three-game winning streak, while San Antonio improved to 46-17, marking 14 wins in their last 15 games. Lue concluded with a focus on adjustment: “We didn’t play well in the second half…we have to execute better and do all the right things down the stretch.”
The Clippers (30-32) travel to Memphis on Saturday, aiming to recover from the collapse. The Spurs (46-17) will host the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
