Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue discussed his team’s struggles following Wednesday’s 128-110 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Intuit Dome.
“They had good rim protection all night and just their pressure,” Lue said, referencing the two seven-footers in OKC’s starting lineup. “I thought the pressure from their guards didn’t allow us to own our space. They were physical trying to deny the basketball, and we just couldn’t get away from their pressure, and it slowed us down offensively a little bit.”
Lue also commented on Bennedict Mathurin’s recent slump. “Just be aggressive. I talked to him last night, just attacking, being aggressive. He’s not a playmaker, he’s a scorer, but I think his playmaking opens up when he’s aggressive, getting to the basket, then making the play,” Lue said.
Looking ahead to Friday’s crucial game in Portland, Lue stressed the importance of mindset. “We got to go in with the same mindset, from the start, like not easing into the game. We got to be physical from the start. They have a defensive mindset, and we’ve got to make sure we don’t have a lot of game plan mistakes.”
Defensively, Lue acknowledged execution issues despite some strategic adjustments. “The zone was really good, but we were late in man. Don’t worry about it. He got behind us a few times on the rolls. Our physicality, as far as nudging and switching the screens, wasn’t very good,” Lue explained.
On facing a high-stakes finish similar to last season, Lue reflected on experience and resilience. “Last year, every game was a playoff game. The same thing has been for us the last three weeks of the season. We’ve got to get our rest, get on the plane tomorrow with a focus on how we need to play, and if we execute our game plan, we’ll come back with a win.”
Lue emphasized competing against Oklahoma City’s size and length. “We put our biggest out there too, with Brook and JC. We understand we’re going to be a small team; we’ve got to be more scrappy, more physical,” he said.
The Clippers now sit 41-39, vying for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Brook Lopez added 16 in the loss. OKC secured the league’s best record at 64-16 behind Chet Holmgren’s 30 points and 14 rebounds and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20 points and 11 assists.
Los Angeles faces Portland on Friday, with the winner likely clinching the eighth seed while the loser falls to ninth and into the play-in tournament. Lue remains focused on preparation and execution. “Understanding how they beat us last time, we’ve got to come in physical and locked in. Friday is the biggest game of the year for us to try to secure that eighth spot,” he said.
