Clippers Fall to Thunder 107-129 - podcast episode cover

Clippers Fall to Thunder 107-129

Feb 23, 202450 min
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Episode description

Clippers lose in OKC, on the first night of a back to back. Off to Tennessee!

Transcript

Time for a postgame Look, it's your La Clippers. This is Clippers Locker Road, brought to you by Cedars Sinai, the official health partner of the LA Clippers, and by Patschonga, official travel casino of the LA Clippers. Breaking down today's action with the pre and post game voice. If you're LA Clippers, they're locking in every game every night. Adam Osland the Clippers phone their first game post All Star Break. They lose a big one in OKC

one twenty nine to one oh seven to the Thunder. Welcome into your postgame show. I'm at aam Oslin coming up on AM five to seventy LA Sports. We will have Clippers talk for you. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy eight sixty six nine eight seven two five to seventy is the phone number, or you can get to me at follow out of May.

But first we're going back out to your radio voice of the Clippers in Carlo Jimenez from Oklahoma City, Carlo. In this one, there were some warning signs early on with the cold three point shooting from the Clippers, the hot three point shooting from the OKC thund and that never really changed for the most part in this ball game. I think that's a great point at him, because you thought at some point this Thunder team is gonna cool down and the

Clippers will catch fire. But they just never did. They never came around like we expected them to. Like they did in Golden State, where all of a sudden, the page turned to the fourth quarter and the Clippers lit the book on fire. That didn't happen here in this one. The Thunder were great from outside the arc. I thought they picked their spots well seventeen for thirty five and forty nine percent, and meanwhile the Clippers they just couldn't

hit them late. And it's not a mis or make league. I don't think you can boil down this game to that. Feels like the Thunder played with great energy. They pushed the ball in transition, they dominated in the paint, and they got eight offensive rebounds. But the Clippers have to figure out when it's not going from three, you gotta finish in the paint. And that's where I think the issue was in this one. The Clippers had too many bunnies, too many good looks inside the restriction area, and then

we're unable to just put it through the rim. That's what was concerning for me because we were holding on to the fact that in that first quarter the Clippers had twenty four points in the they were down by just two because of that, even though Okayse had seven threes in that first quarter, that would swing the other way eventually, And as you mentioned, the Clippers were missing easy ones at the basket, some of them well contested by Okase, but

the Clippers weren't going up strong enough. The end of that third quarter when OKC made that run, you saw a mere Coffee go up with an underhand layup after a turnover, and that's just not going to get it done against this physical OKAC team. Yeah, I think the Clippers thought they could get down the lane with these but check Homgrim by the way, is the second best rim protector in the NBA, and he's only a rookie, and he

made his presence felt on that end. He finished with three blocks. Jdubb also had three, and the entire starting lineup at him for this Thunder team combined for all eleven of the Thunder blocks in this one. They averaged six a game. Their presence around the rim was excellent, and the Clippers had to get there with a little more force, a little more physicality. I thought, you know, there was a couple plays that maybe they didn't get

a whistle. We saw the replay on TV. I Eataz going up literally bleeding from his left arm and didn't get a call. But there needs to be more of an emphasis for the Clippers getting downhill, finishing around the rim. I think that is a great game to start the second half because it wakes you up right. I mean, when Jay dub dunk sit looks towards the crown does a victory laugh. Is a team you might see late in

the playoffs if the Clippers can make that run. And this was a wake up call a lot of the Clippers' weaknesses that stumbled into the All Star Break at HM. I think we're a little bit exposed tonight. They got a lot of work on and the great part is they got tomorrow to work on it. Yeah. Coach Lou will no doubt have his squad's attention after this one, and they are in Memphis tomorrow. That's feeling like almost a must win game right now if you want to be a top three seed in the

West. With how tight things are in the standings. You can't lose to that Memphis Grizzlies team. Maybe a silver lining is Kawhi Leonard didn't have to play much in that fourth quarter, and he was brilliant. Starting four or four one point, was eight of nine, finished with twenty points on just thirteen shots. Kawhi definitely care his weight. Yeah, I mean he had

the backpack on today. He was making sure his team was in the game throughout that third quarter and I'm really forcing his way getting to his spots, knocking down jumpers. Twenty points on nine for twelve, but he was nine for ten from insign the arc and not as many of those were at the rim. It was a lot of mid range wizardry from the claw. I thought he was great in this one. Norman Powell another excellent performance off the match. I mean, what more can you say? Nineteen points, four

for nine from three. He had a third of the team's threes in this one. The Clippers, they didn't get that production that we wanted to see from Paul George. I know it's something you talked about on Clips and Dip and we'll Updank brought it up. It's like, how is PG going to get back into a rhythm. I'd love to see him. I liked how they got to him early at him. I'd love to see him get to the rim a little more. See if George can get to the free throw

line. Did not show a free throw tonight. I think that could really get Paul George going in games he plays well, he gets to that charity strike and aggressive. Paul George is our favorite Paul George. We'll see if we see that tomorrow in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Tipped time, same time, five pm with your pregame show starting at four, Carlo Jimenez. Great call is always. We'll talk to you tomorrow in Memphis. Safe travels, my friend. Thank you so much, Adam. It was great to hear

your voice. So glad we're back. We got a game tomorrow. Let's go, We back go, We back up, and the Clippers are looking for a little bit of payback after this loss. They fall one twenty nine to one O seven in OKC. To the thunder More postgame show coming up next right here on the Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network. LA Clippers Basketball is on the two one three Era continues. You're listening to the LA Clippers on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers falling OKC coming out of the All Star

Break. They lose one twenty nine to one oh seven to the Thunder and they have lost the head to head tiebreaker. They remain in the three spot in the Western Conference standings. Welcome back into your postgame show. I'm Adame

Oslin coming up on a five to seven to LA Sports. We'll have Clippers talk for you six six nine eight seven two five seventy eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy as. The Clippers dropped a thirty six to eighteen on the season and simply did not get enough from two of the Big three. James Harden came alive with eight of his seventeen points on the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Paul George just six of

sixteen with fourteen points. Kawhi Leonard did his part. He had twenty. He started eight of nine from the field, his only miss was from three, finished nine of thirteen those twenty points I mentioned, and had it going. Someone else has got to come to the rescue and help him out.

He's not gonna play forty eight minutes. He only played thirty one That is a positive considering there on the front end of a back to back, but it's also because the Clippers got blown out in that fourth quarter and o case, he ended up pouring it on, winning the fourth thirty three to twenty five, winning the ball game one twenty nine to one oh seven. He was key being the Clippers in it until they got down by fourteen heading into the fourth and of the third was a mess from this team. I have

to say that and be accurate with it. They missed too many layups, they missed too many threes. Then heading into the fourth trying to, I don't know, get a ten point shot. I don't believe they have that line even with how far out Steph Curry, Damian Lillard and some of these guys can shoot in the NBA. Now, when the Clippers were going for one shot to get them back into the ballgame, that can't happen. As Carlo Jimenez said, you got to build it brick by brick. So they

were missing three pointers when they desperately needed them. They were missing layups when they needed those as well. You miss those two shots, as the Clippers did frequently after the first quarter, especially where they had twenty four points in the paint and then could not get things to fall within the restricted area. You miss shots like that when three balls aren't falling for you, and that's how you get a lopsided victory in favor of the OKC Thunder. They shot

seventeen thirty five from the outside. That's forty nine percent. They shot fifty six percent from the field. The Clippers in the first half were at fifty two percent from the floor. They finished just at forty four percent, so a precipitous drop for a team that was shooting the ball well enough, just

not from three in the first half. And by the time some of those three pointers started to fall in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late, and they consistently were blowing layups and not going up strong enough. Clippers lose a tough one considering the standings, considering it was a battle for the two spot, and it was the rubber match in this best of three regular season series between these two and the OKC Thunder now have the advantage.

Clippers fall final score one twenty nine to one to seven in OKC to the Thunder. More postgame coming up next plus Clippers talk on a five to seventy LA Sports. In just a bit, you're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network. They want to bring a banner with them to the into it dull more LA Clippers basketball on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers losing OKC to the Thunder one twenty nine, so one oh seven ohcome back into

your post game show. I'm at a Moslin Coming up next on AM five to seventy LA Sports, we'll have Clippers talk for you eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy eight sixty six nine eats seven two five seventy. I guess the good news is this Carlo mentioned postgame. Clippers got to get right back up off the mat and get after it tomorrow in Memphis against the Grizzlies, who are struggling, beating down missing a lot of players,

including John Morant. Feels like a lost season for them. Clippers cannot overlook that squad though they played hard. You know who they beat right before the All Star break at home, the Milwaukee Bucks. Clippers gotta win that game tomorrow. It's a big one. Standing implications, no doubt. Tiptime is at five. We'll have your free game show starting at four outside of Los Angeles. We are leaving you until then. Coming up next here on a

sports we got Clippers Talk. This has been LA Clippers basketball really good on multitude of levels. Don't miss a moment all season long on their official home. Join us next time on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Hello Clippers fans, if you're gonna go for it, if that's what you want to do, you do Welcome the Clippers Talk, your first chance to react to all

the action of Clippers basketball. Do it you to hear every episode? Subscribe to Clippers Talk on iHeartRadio or wherever you podcast differ on Henry right Now, your host on your home for the Clippers, they were in attack mode, Adam Ousley, the big three was missing in okasee Is. The Clippers fall one twenty nine to one oh seven, and outside of Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell and a little bit of Big Zoo, this Clippers team didn't look right

coming out of the All Star break. They dropped to thirty six and eighteen on the season. As they lose big to the Thunder and lose a big tie breaker, it first goes head to head in the standings. You o case Thunder have won the regular season series two games to one. Welcome to Clippers Talk. I'm ana Moslin eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy eight sixty six ninety seven two five to seventy if we can get the damn phones working, or you get to me. I follow Adam a on X

coming up on the show. You're gonna hear from coach Lou post game and the players will Updyke of clips in dip Fame will join me here even though it's a loss. Chuck is out tonight, Will is in. I felt like a lot of guys were still checked out, chucked out, checked out. James Harden showed up late, too little, too late. He entered the fourth quarter with nine points, finished with seventeen, knocked down a couple

of big three pointers. But they just made it a little bit more respectable than maybe what it would have been, and they still lost big once nine one oh seven. Paul George not good enough. Six of sixteen, fourteen points, two of six from the outside. He's got to play better. Kawhi Leonard needs his teammates and his stars to show up. That is part of the deal. Because he did in a big game, as he always does. Kawhi started eight of nine from the field and didn't miss a shot

that was inside the arc. It was just a mid range master. He only finished with twenty because he only played thirty one minutes and only took thirteen shots. Could have got up a few more, but they weren't winning this game with just one guy. You look at, okay, see their entire starting five was in double figures. And then the guy they brought in to start the second half in Isaiah Joe Well, he had nine and a couple of big shots in the third quarter, a couple of dunks, back door

cuts. But do you look at it, SGA thirty one points. I want to say had nineteen of those in the first half. J Dubb eighteen, Chet Holmgrom seventeen, ten boards, three blocks, Lou Dort had nineteen. Josh Giddy ended up with twelve. Clippers weren't good enough defensively, but I think their offense affected their defense. When you're missing three pointers and it looks more respectable at the end. In the box score, they went twelve

of thirty two from three turns out. Some of those were inconsequential though. In the fourth quarter after missing multiple three pointers. It was a mere Coffee and Paul George going for home run shots. Down fourteen to start the fourth, both of them, I think combined to miss four to three pointers in the first couple of minutes of the fourth. It was only a fourteen point

lead. I mean the Clippers literally just came back down fourteen in the fourth quarter in Golden State in San Francisco against the Warriors just about a week ago, and they were chucking him up from the outside. Maybe it was because they kept missing on the interior in the restricted area. Wasn't just Russell Westbrook blown layups and he was missing too, but a lot of guys Norman Powell, Emir Coffee, Paul George, of Itta Zubats, who I think played

well overall, got to twenty nine minutes. He's no longer on a minute restriction. Had thirteen and twelve, but just five of twelve shooting. Some of that you credit ok see young live bodies, chet holme re at the rim. See he's had a game where he's had nine blocks. Against the Denver Nuggets, he had three. He can test everything. You gotta know that coming in you gotta go at him. You have to finish through contact, you have to go up strong. Didn't see enough of that. End

of the third quarter was a disaster by the Clippers. Mislayup after mislayup, a mere coffee, going up after a steal on a turnover after the Clippers has just given it away with a little underhand layup. That can't happen. I think after that, Norton Powell missed one. Russ missed multiple layups in the third when nobody was there. He got blocked by the rim. You can't have those mistakes in a game of this magnitude. You can't have those

mistakes if you're trying to be a top three seed. James Harden said it yesterday to Lot Murray. We had them on pregame. They can't beat themselves anymore. They can't just rely on their talent. Okay, see he's very talented too. The team's surrounding them in the standings are very talented. It's more about execution than then you fall back on talent. Clippers haven't been executing good enough on either end for I'm gonna say their last five games now.

There's still plenty of time. There's twenty eight games left. But this was consequential. I can't hype up this game and say how big it is and then try to downplay it because the Clippers lost. Not gonna be disingenuous, two faced talking on both sides of my mouth. This was meaningful and it means if they're tied with OKAC at the end of the season, which they

very well might be, OKAC will be above them in the standings. They have the head to head tiebreaker that is rough and the other team ahead of them in the Minnesota Timberwolves, in that one spot in the West currently. Well, they won both games so far against the Clippers, they still have two more to go against them, But then you look at the team right behind them, in the Denver Nuggets. They lead the season series two games to one. At best, the Clippers can tie them and then I believe

it goes to conference record. So another game to play against Denver huge, Two more to play against Minnesota huge, But that's it. Against Okac. They won the season series two games to one. So you thought there'd be more of a sense of urgency, more focus, more crisplay, especially after the first quarter, even though the Clippers were down thirty five to thirty three. I saw encouraging signs. Okac had to hit seven three pointers in that first quarter. Clippers, I want to say, had two, but they

had twenty four points in the paint that kept them in it. They dominated there, and I felt like, Okay, as the game moves along, they'll start knocking down more three pointers. Okay, s will regress to the mean. They shot about fifty percent from the outside, seventeen to thirty five. The Clippers just twelve of thirty two, and it wasn't even that good. They knocked down some late during garbage time. The Clippers had twenty four

points in the paint in the first quarter. They finished with forty two. They couldn't even double that the last three quarters of the game. They went twenty one to forty eight shooting wise. When it came to attempts in the paint, when I mentioned missing layups, missing a lot of I'm not gonna say they were all gimmes. Some of them were. But shots you have to make against Oka se shots they made the last time out against Okac when

they beat them, I believe nine a month ago. The thunder. Meanwhile, in that first quarter and they did most of their damage from the outside. Now, they ended up in the first twelve minutes having just ten points in the paint. By the end of this ball game, the Thunder had fifty four. There's sixth in points in the paint and they scored forty four of them in the last three quarters, when the Clippers ended up having what eighteen. That's not good enough. You got to execute in these games.

Your margin for error is too slim. Kawhi showed up, not enough guys did outside of him. It is a tough loss for the Clippers. It's guys, I'm falling. They got Memphis tomorrow. Feels like a well, as close as you can get to a must win in a regular season game. You can't lose to Memphis. They're one of the worst teams in the league because they're just so depleted with injury riddled roster right now. Lost Steven Adams before the season started, and then they traded him. They lost John

Morant. Everybody's out pretty much. The good news Kawhi only played thirty minutes, Paul George only thirty five, James Harden only twenty nine, Zubots only twenty nine. I hope they caught their wind their second wind and they're ready to go tomorrow. Because the Clippers look gassed at times coming out of the All Star break. That's a little bit concerning. We're looking for fresh bodies. Zubots look good, Kawhi look good, Paul George, Maybe I'm reading

too much into it. Wasn't so much having tired legs, just missing shots. He did go to the basket, some didn't get rewarded, didn't attempt a free throw. But outside of Norton Powell and what he did in that second quarter with fourteen of his nineteen points, and really, Brandon Boss didn't have an eight points late, you know, excuse me, that was a mere coffee. Brandon Boss won with four points late. Emir had his moments, but the bench didn't give him enough. Mayson Plumley wasn't very good eight

minutes, two points, pretty much a non factor. Russ was one for nine and may have missed five layups. I'm not kidding. He missed two threes. Not sure I put this out at follow out of may On X. Why they ran a play or Kawhi was looking for him for a corner three. That's not his forte, that's not what he does he's just been missing so many layups. And you know what those layups are, those miss laps, they're turnovers. And in this game, the Oklahoma City Thunder had

thirty fast break points the Clippers just ten. They capitalized when the Clippers turned it over. I know it's not technically a turnover when you miss a layup, but when you smoke a layup like that, it's a five on four going the other way. That's where it is. And the Clippers got beat up in that area multiple times. Russe would miss a layup, it ends up in a three pointer on the other side. Okay, see, he had numbers found the open man. Wiggans knock one down, they make you

pay. So you got to play much closer to mistake free basketball against a team like this. I was asked a couple of months ago on Clips and Dip we got will Updyke coming on in a little bit here, who do you fear most in the West, And of course everybody said Denver. Second to that, I said, okay, see, because they're younger, they're quicker to the basketball. They drive the basketball more than anyone in the league. Their drives per game are up much higher by a wide margin than whoever

is second right now. And they also after tonight probably lead the league in three point percentage. They were right behind the Clippers by fractions of a percent heading into this one, and the Clippers were just twelve to thirty two, that's thirty seven and a half percent. The OKC thunder were seventeen to thirty five that's forty eight point six percent, So they might have taken the crown of being the best three point shooting team. You do those two things,

well, you're gonna be be in a lot of ball games. You're gonna win a lot of ball games. Okase is now thirty eight and seventeen game and a half up on the Clippers. I'll update you on the standings coming up. We'll have postgame audio from the players. The Clippers lose one twenty nine to one oh seven in Oklahoma City. You gotta get back after it tomorrow. In Memphis. You're listening to Clippers stock. You're seven LA Sports

loading Clippers fully loaded with Clippers fans. This is LA Clippers basketball. You're listening to the LA Clippers on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers lose one twenty nine to one oh seven. In OKC to the thunder. I'm out of Mosland. Consequential loss for your Los Angeles Clippers as they lose the head to head tiebreaker against OKAC. Can't build a game like that and then not talk about it post game. It was a huge game in the Western Conference

standings. Clippers needed it, couldn't get it. Didn't look good coming out of the All Star break. I thought there were good size in the first quarter. Even though they were struggling and gave up thirty five points, they were right there. They had twenty four points in the paint. You have twenty four points in the pain in the first quarter, I expect you to

end up with sixty points in the paint. And that had been a recipe for success for this Clippers team, and it really seemed like a point of emphasis going back to the start of the Grammy road trip, even the game rap per fowred against the Lakers. All of a sudden, they were averaging almost sixty five points in the paint for about five straight games, and they were going downhill in the first quarter, but somehow okay See turned the tide.

I don't know if they got into the Clipper's head with a couple of blocks. Chet's tough with just throwing bodies at them, getting hands up because the Clippers shot away, and then even when they went downhill they missed them. They missed easy looks. Russell Westbrook can't go one of nine when almost all those shots, seven of them are at the basket. He started things off with a nice reverse and then missed everything else. Lorren Powell missed some

a mere coffee into the third quarter. And then you have Paul George who was just six of sixteen, and I saw this number over his last thirteen games. PG. Thirteen is shooting just twenty five percent from three. It was two of six tonight. On the season, I think he's still above forty percent, which tells you how good he had been and how efficient he was looking. But that high efficiency offense and the Clippers just putting up one

twenty with ease every night. Part of that was because catch and shoot. Paul George was knocking everything down from three and looked like Michael Porter Junior on steroids next to Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. So friend Justin Wilson would say, James Harden, ye know, I mentioned him getting some buckets in the fourth quarter. He needed to get him going earlier. They need to play with more desperation earlier. But he had just to assist to three turnovers.

That's probably his worst assist to turnover ratio as a Clipper so far. When I say probably, it's seems pretty obvious because I think he's still what eight to two on the season as a Clipper assists a turnover ratio that's four to one. That's great, that's stellar, that's elite. Yeah, he's at eight point four assists to two turnovers per game or two and a half per

game. That's special tonight. To assist the three turnovers, you can say some of it Clippers missing shots can't get the assists if they don't knock him down. But I don't think he was sitting the table like he normally does. I don't think he was being the prototypical floor general that he can be. But enough of me. I want to hear from the head coach post

game after the Clippers suffer a blow in the standings. They had a chance to get up to the two seed, and now they have lost the head to head tiebreaker to the OKC Thunder and SGA here was coach lou post game. We did a great job getting the ball in the paint and the scoring effective the rest of the game. It just felt like the paint closed off the third corner, got tons of blocks on the stills and coming around away with the game of what'll worked early and why if it was when the teammates

there throwing off for that success. Yeah, I think, you know, starting the game, like I said, we have some early success attacking the paint, making the right play, and then the second half of that first quarter we turned the ball over, you know, which allowed them to get out and transition and get some easy baskets. We know coming into the game they give up the twenty ninth most threes because they're going to pack the paint.

They're going to defend the paint first, and they thirtieth and give it up corner threes. And so we had a lot of possessions and plays where we got in there, we didn't make the right play, so they were able to give block shots and turnovers. For the most part, I thought we did a good job, you know, I thought we know executed a game playing offensively. Defensively have been a lot better, but offensively, Like,

you know, we got some shots at the rim. I think it was eight for twenty four at the end of the third quarter at the rim. You know, just not finishing in the paint. Zoo had a few, you know, dunks of at the rim. Russ had a few layups and just getting there and attacking, and we weren't able to finish. Yeah, they played good tonight and uh we didn't play our best game. Oh they shot took my things something a month was sent from the fewer the third

something took them from three? Was that them making shots of that just your defense not being what it needed to be a combination of both and so what des be done now going forward to I guess by that get your defense back, maybe not play Okay, see again abound, but you don't three. No that they have the two what type breaker? That's all right? That's okay. Yeah, does you know at this stage of things? No,

right, what can what? What came the team? Uh do? I mean you you saw like they were able to get those runouts and everything, like what can what can team to do? It's just a matter of execution or or I mean run Yeah, the runouts, like I said, turn the basketball over. So when you turn the ball over, it's like a pick six. I mean you're just not you not gonna be able to get back and challenge those And so you know, you turn the ball over against

his team, they thrive in transition. And when you turn the ball over, like I said, they put you in your heels. They score at a high clip. So just taking care of the basketball. I don't think they got a lot of runouts. Just in our half court offense when we took care of the basketball and you know, got the right shots. It's just more so on the turnovers when you took your starughters off for them at least that conscious of yeh, the game tomorrow night. Yeah, we'll make

this up. Just wasted minutes. Is that an easy decision for you to make? It is for me. I don't care about them, but it's easy for me. I mean, you can cut it to four six and still lose the game, and it's wasted minutes to me. So once they scored went up sixteen, you know we're four and a half, it was just like it's over, you know, so get ready for tomorrow. We cut out of game, you know, healthy and get ready. You know for Memphis, yeah, it was over. I trust coach lew in that

situation. He waved the white flag with about three and a half four minutes left, putting Brandon Boston a mere coffee. Terrence Man was out there, made some plumbley some of the backups. They weren't gonna pull this one out against ok Se, and the score did get a little bit inflated late with some runouts by ok Se and some donks during garbage time. It was a little bit closer, but they were still down fourteen heading into the fourth.

The one thing Coach Lou mentioned was he had the number. Of course, after three quarters they were eight of twenty fourth a rim. So he said the game plan was there, they tried to execute it. It's not that guys weren't taking shots there, it just weren't making them. There's a difference between effort and execution. The effort was there, the mindset was there. They couldn't give him a fall. The execution wasn't. And that's how you fall in a game like this to a really good OKC thunder team. So

look, coach Lou, he's not concerned about losing the tie breaker. He did mention maybe just don't play. Okay, see again, maybe it's a bad matchup. Like I said before, I felt like after Denver, because they are the champs, the ragning champs, and they have had the Clippers number for years. The team that I was most concerned about a couple months ago in the West. Okay, see, they're ahead of schedule. Thought they'd be good this year. I didn't think they'd be top three now top

two in the West. Good, thought that maybe top five. We'll update you in the Western Conference standings coming up. We'll have Will Updike on from clips in Dip next here on Clippers Talk. After they lose one twenty nine to one oh seven in OKC to the Thunder. A rude awakening coming out of the All Star break. Hey, they got Memphis tomorrow, gotta have it. Tip time at five pregame at four. More Clipper stock next year on the NFI seventy. You got what I need, loading Clippers fully loaded

with Clippers fans. This is LA Clippers basketball. You're listening to the LA Clippers on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers lose one twenty nine to one oh seven to the Thunder in Oklahoma City, welcome back in. I'm Ada Oslin. This is Clippers talk. Believe we'll have Will Updyke coming up in

just mirror moments from now. We heard Coach Lou earlier and he talked about, well, the lack of makes, the lack of bunnies falling through the cylinder for the Clippers, just mislayups misshots at the rim, the downhill pressure was there converting those shots, well, that was a whole another ordeal, and the Clippers really struggled, couldn't get him to go. They were eight

for twenty four. Coach Lu said he believed heading into the fourth quarter within the restricted area at the rim, if you don't shoot it well from three and then have that after the first quarter they had where they had twenty four points in the paint, yeah, it's gonna be a lopsided loss. Typically that's how it goes. Let's check in with Will Updike and see if he can hear us here. Will you got me? It's really cool. The films aren't working tonight, and the engineer told us that it would work on

the hotline, but hey, what's working? The Clippers loss one's twenty nine to one oh seven. This was a tough loss on a few different layers. One, you're coming out of the All Star break. You want to build some momentum. We asked lat Murray earlier in the pregame show if there was gonna be any carryover over what happened in Sam Francisco last Wednesday. He thought, you know, the one thing you could speak to is it galvanized

the team that fourth quarter. They had coach lou being ejected, Mayson Plumbley getting into it with some of the players, some fouls not going their way, and they rallied around it and they came back down fourteen in the fourth quarter like they were tonight. It wasn't to be. But against the Golden State Warriors, they pulled it off and they had won five straight. They looked great heading into that game against Clippers tonight. I still saw guys getting

frustrated, and there were some bad calls. It's not why the Clippers lost. Didn't help the beats of Zubots let it get into his head a little too much. His third foul that was a clean block on Chet and it was a late call. I don't know what was going on there. He couldn't get calls on the other end, I think it was Jay Dubb who stripped him going up for a layup. Ondn't you know he got blocked. He didn't like it was late to get back. Was arguing with the official.

You gotta put that stuff behind you if that supreme focus, laser focus is going to be there in the last twenty eight games. Now down the stretch they come, you just can't get into it with the officials, or at least let the head coach get into it with them. That's one thing. Big Zoo and others getting back late on defense because they didn't get a foul on one end. You can't do that against Oklahoma City. You're not

gonna survive against them. Closely talked about the turnovers. Those are costly against a team like this. They had thirty fast breakpoints. He talked about the number of turnovers. I also brought up all those mislayups basically being turnovers just compounds things. They aren't technically there in the box score. But trust me, those are five on fours for OKC and they've been happening too frequently. With Russ, He's got to finish at the rim. If he's not finishing

at the rim. I don't know if he can be in there and maybe you dust off bones Highland. I don't know. I love what Russ is brought to this team, but he had a brutal game and it's been like that for a couple of months. At the rim, he's not converting. We're talking being blocked by the rim multiple times in the third quarter going for lamps. It wasn't okay. See the rim was going with Tumbo on him, waving the fingers saying not in my house. That's just too costly.

Those misses, they are just something that can't happen in a game against the OKC Thunder and the Clippers. And it wasn't just Russ. Believe me. I can't say that enough, but he has had a tendency to miss these shots, in particular at the rim recently. I don't think it's contagious. The OKC Thunder were good building that moat and the Clippers didn't break through it. While we have a moment, let's pause ten seconds for station identification here

on seventy LA Sports. This is LA Clippers Basketball AM five seventy KLAC Los Angeles ninety eight seven KYSR HD two Los Angeles and iHeartRadio station. Clippers fall once twenty nine is a one to seven to the thunder. You're not making threes, you're not making layups, You're not getting victories, plain and simple. You're not getting help from two of the big three in Paul George and James Harden showing up in a game of this magnitude, Kawhi Leonard did.

Where were his friends? He's got to get some help, all right. I looked at the way he was playing, and you could see it was I don't know if it's playoff mode activated or KAUHYI just sensing the moment, knowing it's a big game, tiebreaker on the line. He was ready, he was engaged. James Harden and Paul George a little bit too passive, not assertive enough. I just can't believe James Harden ended up with just two assists to three turnovers. That is unreal. You know, on bad games

he has eight assists and maybe five turnovers. So some of those I'm sure miss layups, miss three pointers uncharacteristically. Misshots are bad shots from the Clippers that don't normally happen, and they normally fall. But you gotta give okse credit their top four offense, their top four defense. They do it on both ends. One of the best teams in the league for a reason.

We just know the Clippers are better than this. They've beaten o case, They've gotten up against them in a huge game just a month ago at home, Kawhi with the big block on SGA Paul George with nineteen of his thirty eight points in the fourth quarter. I didn't see that fire in their eyes, and you need it, especially in Oka. See they haven't won there since twenty twenty. It's maybe the best home court advantage in the league.

That crowd is on top of you. Their fans are great. Feel like they took the mantle from Arco Arena back in the day of being the loudest known crowd. Small market. The city embraces OKAC Thunder, that that is their baby, and they let it be known. Russell Westbrook got a great ovation for all the work he did there soon as he came into the ballgame. Smart basketball fans they don't forget, and the Clippers they didn't look up to the challenge of not just facing the Okac Thunder, but being in the

lions Den, being in that environment. So tomorrow and Memphis, Hey, they won two in a row. They had lost nine in a row before that. But the Grizzlies have won two in a row. Heading into the All Star Break, they had beaten Houston, solid win, and they've beating the Milwaukee Bucks. And you could say what you want about Waukee struggling so far with Doc Rivers, and say whatever you want about the situation between ext

Clippers arguing about Doc and taking accountability and all these things. That's a huge win for that Grizzlies team. That's probably the best win of the season. They will be riding high. They will believe that they can beat the Clippers tomorrow night. Second, I have a back to back. It's not gonna be easy. Those never are, but the Clippers have to have it. Then you come back home. You take on the Kings on Sunday, the

Lakers on Wednesday. Two massive ballgames they all are, but especially Pac DIV contests against a team in Sacramento trying to climb up the standings. Same with the Lakers trying to get out of the plan. So I'm not trying to put too much into the game. I'm trying to put the appropriate amount and It was a bad loss for the Clippers. I have to level with you. Tiebreaker was on the line, top two seat on the line, and they didn't come through. And outside of the first quarter, I just didn't

like the way they looked for the most part. Now they were only down two and a half, they were battling. They just felt like they were hanging around and maybe okay see felt that too. If they got into rhythm, made a run in that third quarter like they did, they could put the Clippers away. And that's kind of what happened. Clippers just weren't sounded enough on either end. Coach Lou didn't like the defensive effort. That a lot of the offense was just not getting the ball in the hole, not

executing. But obviously, if you're not doing that, you got to play elite defense. The Clippers didn't. They let a lot of backdoor cuts, dunks, eight offensive rebounds they had eleven themselves. But there were some big buckets at inopportune times, timely shots for the Okac thunder that the Clippers could not stop. They put them away in the fourth. They win once twenty nine to one oh seven. We'll take a quick time out. We'll come

back, we'll close things out. We'll update you in the Western Conference standings here on clipperstock on five seven, LA Sports loading Clippers fully loaded with Clippers fans. This is LA Clippers basketball. You're listening to the LA Clippers on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers losing OKAC one twenty nine till one to seven to the thunder. Heard from coach Lou earlier, he ain't shook. That's what you need from your leader. But I will give you an update

on the Western Conference standings here because here's the thing. The Clippers are just a half game up on the Denver Nuggets. They're in the four spot, Clippers in that three spot game and a half back of OKC. But really, because the tiebreaker, it's two and a half games back. Currently Minnesota

has the tiebreaker over them. There's two more games to go. The Clippers would have to win both of them for it then to I believe, be about conference record after head to head, that's a tough road to ho This Clippers team is in a precarious position right now because those three teams surrounding them, Denver behind them, ok SE, Minnesota in front of them. They

all have much easier schedules for mating than the Clippers. The Clippers coming into this game had these seventh toughest schedule left, and that doesn't even account for the fact that they're playing seventeen games in March. Still, how concentrated those games are. Denver, OKC, Minnesota, they all have bottom ten schedules remaining. So the Clippers are gonna have to be on their game, not just tomorrow against a Memphis team that's twenty and thirty six and two and eight

in their last ten games. But they just beat Milwaukee, They're gonna have to get quality wins the rest of the way, some of them on back to backs. I think they have seven more instances of back to backs. They're gonna have to beat Minnesota. They got one more game left against Denver, two more against Minnesota. You gotta win those. It's asking a lot. They could easily drop down to the fourth spot. They have a little

more distance between themselves and the Pelicans. The Pelicans are three games behind the Clippers in the five spot. Dallas's four games behind them in the sixth spot. But March is coming. Winter is coming. Seventeen games in March, seventeen games in thirty one days. It's one of the toughest treaches I've ever seen. What's the phrase into a dome? Can't come soon enough before we get out of here tonight and get ready for tomorrow. Clippers in Memphis Tip

time five pregame at four. Let's get to producer Katie Newton start things off of this. The phone issue not your fault. It's not your fault. Well, I know it's my fault. You know what it is? She got real upset, picked it up, through it against the wall. I was like, don't do it. I hold smashed it. Okay, It's just like when you hit the VCR back in the day or slap the top of the old original nes kind of like take out the cartridge that works, right. I did try to unplug it? He did? You had plugged

unplugged the router? Did you try it? So? Is the first question they asked. Well, we got a question coming from Katie. Because this is Katie Newton's casual NBA corner. She's not the biggest NBA fans, so she will throw a variety of questions my way and hope that you know I'm some genius. Stump the swab going on here. What's up, Katie?

What's the question? So? I think it was in the third quarter you and Carlo were talking and you're I said something about like you couldn't wait until the fourth quarter because then and some players could go in like are they only allowed a certain number of minutes each quarter? Well, they're not going to play a guy for twenty minutes straight or something like that. Typically, your starters they might play eight minutes in a quarter. Sometimes they'll play the entire

quarter. But I think the Clippers were sensing that this one could be getting away from us. So Kawhi Leonard came in around I don't know, a five or six minute mark of the fourth quarter. They're down by fifteen plus. They gave it a shot. They couldn't make any distance or close the distance against the Memphis or Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow against the OKC thunder tonight, and I was it. They pulled the plug on the starters on trying to come

back on this one with about three and a half four minutes left. So not a bad question. He just can't run guys into the ground when you're on the front end of a back to back, especially and you're down big against a quality squad on the road, the likelihood they were going to be able to overcome that deficit. Let's just say, just pet your some money would say, follow up question, is anyone on a minute's restriction right now? Uh? Not? To my knowledge. It came out earlier today,

and that is good news. I'm glad you brought it up. If it's a zoobots no longer on a minutes restriction. Doesn't seem like Paul George or Kawhi Leonard are either. And we're hoping everybody came out healthy of this game. Look to be that way, cross your fingers. I got another one tomorrow against the scrappy Memphis Grizzlies team and guys still playing for something, because when you have a bunch of starters out, it's a huge opportunity for those

backups on the Grizzlies, So Clippers cannot overlook them whatsoever. But it came down to this tonight. Twenty four points in the paint in the first quarter for the Clippers, eighteen the last three quarters, just nine of thirty shooting the rest of the way. Clippers lose one twenty nine to one oh seven to the thunder As I mentioned, we'll get back after it to here with Clippers countdown starting at four. Clippers back after it tip off at five in

Memphis. Before we get out of here, I do want to thank the Clippers organization, Ralph Lawler, Brian Seeman, no ego, Carlo Jmenez on the call. Great to be back with Carlo. Great to be back with Katie Newton here in the bank, our producer. We'll see Jake Warner's Sunday night, our head engineer. Big thanks to the callers, Thank the listeners tonight and thanks to those on x Well. Doc to you tomorrow at four. Clippers taking on the Grizzlies. I'm Adams Land. We'll be speaking with

you then. So why was doing his thing? All they want to do is win in La? I win. I thought they gave everything they had. This has been Clippers Talk, the official postgame reaction of the LA Clippers. God bless Paul George. Will you not changed? Don't miss an episode all season law Go to wherever you podcast and subscribe today. Well up the show. I got you on the iHeart Radio. You guys are thank you for joining us for another exciting broadcast of LA Clippers basketball,

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