Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue highlighted the team’s resilience and leadership after their 116-103 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday at Intuit Dome. “I give all the credit to our players and our coaching staff,” Lue said, praising the squad for overcoming a 23-point lead blown early in the game.
Lue emphasized the contributions of former players who helped shape the team’s turnaround this season. “James, Zu, Kobe Brown… they were part of it through all the struggles, and they were on board. You can’t leave them out,” he explained, noting that their influence helped the Clippers recover from a 16-21 start.
Kawhi Leonard led the team with 34 points, including six 3-pointers, despite wrist discomfort. “He’s doing it by example… playing every night, through injuries, through things he’s going through and be able to produce,” Lue said, highlighting Leonard’s consistent performance and leadership during the win. The victory marked Leonard’s 55th straight game scoring 20 or more points.
Lue also discussed the defensive strategy against rookie Cooper Flagg, who scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds. “We tried to make him see a crowd as much as we could, and having Brook back to protect the rim… I thought we did a good job,” Lue said, noting that Flagg struggled to find consistent shooting rhythm.
The Clippers’ bench also drew praise, particularly Kobe Sanders and Derrick Jones Jr. “To be a rookie, very poised, he takes and makes big shots, not afraid of the moment,” Lue said of Sanders. On Jones, he added, “Losing two centers… we just told our guys we got to rebound by committee, and he’s been one of the guys doing that.”
Lue addressed lineup adjustments, including Kris Dunn’s move into the starting unit. “KD brings defensive energy every night… he wants to take the one-on-one challenge of guarding the best player,” Lue said, highlighting the impact of versatile players on team dynamics.
Despite limited practice time, Lue remains focused on finishing strong. “Every game you play every night… we got to continue to get better defensively and offensively,” he said. He also noted the importance of achieving a winning season, marking the Clippers’ 15th straight above .500 finish. “Making the playoffs… to go from six and 21 and then making the playoffs, that’s a huge accomplishment,” Lue added.
The Clippers, now 40-38, will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday to close their back-to-back schedule, while the Mavericks visit the Phoenix Suns.
