Clippers Lose Game 2 123-109 in Phoenix - podcast episode cover

Clippers Lose Game 2 123-109 in Phoenix

Apr 19, 202357 min
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Episode description

Clippers Talk with Adam Auslund after the Clippers fall in game 2 by 14 to the Suns in Phoenix and you'll hear from Russ and Coach Lue postgame along with Charles Mockler from Clippers N Dip!

Transcript

The game is over. Paul George money in the pain, but the postgame reaction has just begun. Kahi Leonard is so smooth in the mid range. This is Clippers locker Roo, a recap of today's game and a look ahead on your home for LA Clippers playoff basketball. And now your host, You, sir, are a bad man, Adam Oslin. Clippers lose Game two in Phoenix in this series is tied up at one a piece after the Suns win once twenty three to one, O nine over your Los Angeles Clippers.

Welcome in to your post game show. I'm atam Oslin coming up. We'll postgame audio from the head coach in the players and get into your final box score. But first back out to Phoenix with your voice of the Clippers in Noah Eagle, No, you talked about it. Clippers led by as many as thirteen in that second quarter. To me, this game really turned those

last three minutes of the first half. Yeah, big time. Where the Clippers had momentum in that second quarter, and again similar to what we saw on Sunday where the Clippers gave up that momentum to finish the first half, Phoenix brought what was a sixteen point Clipper lead down to five going into the half, and you said, oh, oh, here they come, and sure enough, they build it up to nine in the third quarter. But

the Clippers responded and they took that punch. They delivered a CounterPunch. I saw a lot of similarities today where Clippers went up big in the second quarter, Phoenix comes out, they make their run, they tie it at halftime, and then from there they went up big, up by as many as I think it was twelve or at one point in the third quarter, at

least double digits. In the third quarter, the Clippers bring it back to within five going into the fourth, Phoenix extends to thirteen, and then the Clippers again make another run, bring it to six with just under three minutes remaining, or a little over three minutes remaining either way, with a couple of minutes left, and then after that turnover, turnover, turnover, misshot

turnover. That's what you can't have if you battle. And Clippers gave themselves chances, and all you need is a chance a couple bounces to go your way. Things change in a hurry. And when you've got Kawhi Leonard, especially with the way he's played these first two games of the series. You're always gonna have a chance if you keep it close. But it just felt like the Clippers shot themselves on the foot a little bit too much. They

ended up end up this game with fifteen turnovers. They didn't crash the glass the same level they did in the first game, and so those margins shrunk just enough. Phoenix shot the ball fifty nine percent from the floor forty two from three. Clippers didn't shoot nearly well enough to even compete with that, and eventually they ran out of time and just ran out of I would say

efficiency to get the job done on both ends. Yeah, and a game where the Phoenix Sun score one hundred and twenty three and Devin Booker's going off like that, even when they were playing good defense, it didn't seem to matter. And the Clippers average one hundred and fourteen per game and only put up one on nine. And you mentioned it, a lot of open shots missed on the perimeter completely, you know, you make three or four of those, which are more than I mean, that's exactly what the Clippers did

all season. They were the third best three point shooting team in the regular season at thirty eight point one percent mentioned it throughout the game. They were first in bench three point shooting at thirty eight point five. But we're talking about Nick Mutoom, who during the regular season was thirty nine point one percent. We're talking about Bones Highland, who during the regular season was thirty seven point one percent, talking about Norman Powell, who during the regular season was

forty percent from three. So we're talking about three excellent, elite three point shooters who want to combine Oz for eleven from three. I mean, even if three or four of those go, it completely changes the complexion of this game. So again, you always are disappointed when you lose a game in the playoffs, no doubt about it. But it's funny because I think that when we were talking to some of the people around here in Phoenix after Game

one, they felt like it was that sky is falling feeling. They didn't actually believe this guy was falling, but it was that feeling of we're never gonna win again, right that that playoff feeling. It doesn't feel like that for the Clippers right now. It doesn't feel like they have completely taken themselves out of the series. Part of that is that they won game one.

But the other part of that is for reasons like that, you hit three or four more of those wide open three point looks, you're very much in this game. You might be ahead in this game in the fourth quarter, and now you're talking about a completely different complexion of what it looks like and how it's played down the stretch, similar to how it was in game one. So go back to the drawing board, you tweak a couple of things. I don't think you overreact to this at all, and you got your

home court advantage. Moving back to La, see what you can do with that, use it to your advantage, and see if you can get those wins and come back here up three one for Game five next Tuesday, Clippers fall once twenty three to one on nine in Phoenix to the Sun's in game two. Game three coming up Tuesday night. As no Ego mentioned, tip off is at seven thirty. We'll have Clippers countdown from Crypto dot com arena starting at six thirty. No, my friend, great call is always can't

wait to see you on Tuesday. What what'd you just say? What you did you used to say? Can't wait? Can't wait? Zacho call? He was ready for coming up next here at your post game show, we'll get into this final box score. Clipper's fall on Game two, but got the split in Phoenix. They return home Thursday night. You're listening to the Los Angeles Clip Radio Net one. Oh Paul Jorge La Clippers playoff basketball continue in his pains as he ferries the three on the home of your La Clippers.

Devin Booker has thirty eight and he sinks the Clippers as they fall in Game two of US best of seven first round series one twenty three to one on nine in Phoenix to the Suns. Welcome back into your post game show. I met, i'm oslin. Game three coming up back in downtown Los Angeles Thursday night at Crypto dot com or you know. Tip time for that one is at seven thirty. We'll have Clippers count Daniel pregames show starting at

six thirty. Clippers end up shooting just forty three percent from the field, eleven of thirty from the outside. Suns were ten of twenty four. Took five more three pointers then they took all of last game, and they would end up hitting four more six in Game one. Ten in this game. But we know the mid range mastery in the mid range mop that they have and possess. It wasn't just Devin Booker who went fourteen to twenty two overall.

He did hit four to three pointers, a big one at the end of the first half where the game really started to swing back in the Sun's favor. They went on a big thirteen to two run in the final three minutes of that second quarter and the game was tied up at fifty nine after the Clippers led by as many as thirteen in the first half, but Devin Booker two a fish in fourteen to twenty two thirty eight points. Chris Paul hit some big buckets late. He had sixteen plus eight assists. Kevin Durant

had twenty five, ten of those came in the second quarter. DeAndre eight and had ten in the second as well. He finished with fourteen and thirteen and as for the Clippers, they were led by who else, Kawhi Leonard finished with thirty one points and eleven of twenty shooting. Russell Westbrook bounced back from a miserable performance just three of nineteen from the field, but made all the plays down the stretch to get the Clippers to win in game one.

He finished nine of sixteen for his twenty eight points, five assists, three turnovers. The Clippers, though overall, missed a lot of shots and a lot of good looks from the outside, especially off of passes from Kawhi Leonard when he was doubled and triple team to times. Just seventeen assists to fifteen turnovers. That is not a very good ratio, and the Phoenix Suns had just eleven turnovers in the ball game and shot almost sixty percent from the field

forty one percent from the outside. Clippers weren't good enough on either end, scoring just one O nine. They average one hundred and fourteen points per game defensively giving up one hundred and twenty three look Some of those shots were well defended. It's not gonna matter at times against the Phoenix Suns. They are tough shot makers, and Tory Craig also torched them with five made three pointers

after he had a really good game one with twenty two points. Finished with seventeen but some timely threes I thought from Tory Craig Off the bench for the Clippers, norn Pal just four of eleven twelve points, terrace Man just ten points, bones Highlands struggled two of seven h four from the outside, had six points, and Nicholas Patum with the starters, he's really struggled the first two games of the series four all of his attempts were from three in his

nineteen minutes. They simply need more, too much on the shoulders of Kawhi Leonard. I think on the offensive end and defensive ended times. Clippers will regroup and bring it back to downtown Los Angeles. Thursday night tip off for Game three, seven thirty three game show starting at six thirty. Coming up next, we got postgame audio from the Clippers players and your head coach in Toronto, lou after they fall once twenty three to one on nine in game

two to the Phoenix Suns. Series tied at one game apiece, and you're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers Radio Network slart Patch. Kawhi Leonard goes for thirty one, but Devin Booker were thirty eight on just twenty two shot attempts. I mean uber efficient. Phoenix Suns shoot fifty nine percent from the field and they win one twenty three to one oh nine in Game two in Phoenix tonight in your Western Conference first round matchup for your Los Angeles Clippers is tied

up at a game apiece coming up on the Patriot Am eleven fifty. We will have Clippers talk here eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty is the phone number or get to meet at follow Adam a Clippers just not good enough on either end. Couldn't get stops when they needed too, couldn't hit shots when they needed to, especially those

big timely three pointers. They just weren't there for him. And this is a team, Noah Eagles said it top three three point shooting team on the season. They've been I think at worst top two the last three years. They have the guys to knock them down. Nicholas Patum in a bit of a funk right now, as is Norman Powell. Those two combine to go oh for seven from the outside. Add in Bones Highland and you're oh for eleven from those three guys. That just can't happen. That's a recipe for

disaster. And the Clippers having fifteen turnovers just seventeen assists. You're not getting many assists when you're not hitting shots that would be their undoing. They lose one twenty three to one O nine, they will bring it back to downtown Los Angeles for Game three, Thursday night, tip off seven thirty. We'll have Clippers count down starting at six thirty. Outside of Los Angeles, we

are leaving you until then, but coming up next year. On the Patriot Am eleven fifty, we got Clippers Talk eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty. Outside of Los Angeles, we will talk to you a Thursday night in La. It's Clipper Stalk next. Hey, Adam, Hey, how are you doing. Welcome into Clipper stock. Here's a new sheriff from count You won't be able to denight if you're going to go to the NBA Finals. I believe it in my heart.

The mid range mastery of Kawhi Leonard. I am all about the Clipper Nation, this playoff Clippers Talk. They're trying to win the whole thing. A post game look. It's your LA Clippers recapping this playoff matchup, the stars and a look ahead to what's next. To hear episodes you've missed. Subscribe to Clippers Talk on iHeart Radio or wherever you podcast. Now your host

of Clippers Talk. Here's Adam Oslin. The Clippers get burned in Phoenix by the hot shooting Suns as Devin Booker has thirty eight on just twenty two shots, and your Los Angeles Clippers fall in Game two one twenty three to one oh nine, and this best of seven first round series is tied up at a game of piece. Welcome into your postgame show. This is Clippers Talk. I'm Adam Oslin coming up. Chuck Mockler from Clips and Dip will be

here. Plus you'll hear from the head coach in the players after this one, and we'll get to your phone calls at eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty. Who knows we might have a special guests call in tonight. Clippers, though quite frankly not good enough on either end. Credit the Suns. They got hot. This is one of those nights where it's just really tough to stop a team that has

the talent advantage. Without Paul George currently for the Clippers, we knew it was coming at some point, and all it took one game in for the Phoenix Suns to really find their footing in Devin Booker to get scorching hot because those thirty eight points. A lot of those shots well defended of his fourteen makes, but doesn't matter. And you're gonna deal with a lot of that frustration in this series against the Phoenix Suns team that is just loaded with tough

shot takers and makers. The mid range Mafia, it's what they call themselves. Devin Booker was the Dawns and I are the Godfather. Kevin Durant all ten of his makes, first twenty five points came in the mid range, had five assists too. And the Clippers have to be better offensively. I was talking about it with big shot Bob Flom post game. He thought it was more about their defense. I'm saying it was pretty even because defensively,

there's only so much you can do against this Phoenix Suns team. When they're hitting shots like that, you gotta score more points, though one O nine likely isn't gonna cut it. Clippers average one hundred and fifteen points per game on the season, and they've been better than that since they brought in Russell Westbrook. So if you can't stop them, even when you put a hand in the guy's face. You got to make them pay on the other end

and knock down shots. And the Clippers were just eleven or thirty from three. They hit one more three pointer, they took one less. They shot thirty seven percent from the outside compared to thirty three percent in Game one. But eleven is still not a big number. I said the Clippers needed to hit sixteen to win this ball game. I believe they are thirteen and three on the season. When they hit sixteen three pointers or more, they are

capable. They have had open looks. Guys aren't hitting. A couple of guys, specifically Nick Batoum, who has been streaking up and down all season, oh for four, Norman Powell, oh for three, Bones Highland, oh for four. You can't get three guys to go oh for eleven from distance and win a ball game against the Phoenix Suns when they score one hundred and twenty three points. So there are gonna be stretchers. They're gonna be

games where you have to score with them. Where I'm not saying it has to look like the game against the Sacramino Kings where it was one seventy six to one seventy five. But there are going to be some high scoring affairs in this series and some big numbers that the Phoenix Suns put up, and the Clippers have to meet them. It's not easy without Paul George Russ gave

twenty eight points and helped out Kawhi Leonard, who at thirty one. Russell was great nine of sixteen from the field, took three less shots, made six more, hit a couple three pointers, had a huge block on Kevin Durant. First quarter was setting the tone and the Clippers were up by thirteen, and the third they looked to be in control. Now, thirteen isn't a huge number in this league anymore, especially against the team as good as

the Phoenix Suns. But the Clippers had an opportunity to close out the half in style, and they let the Suns off the mat a little bit being up by thirteen, because in the last three minutes of the second quarter the Suns went on a thirteen to two run. Clippers went cold, made one field goal within those three minutes. It was Kawhi Leonard went you know. But after leading by thirteen, they were tied of a fifty nine at the

half. That was a huge momentum swing in favor of the Suns, and it got Devin Booker going, who hit a big three pointer with one second left in that second quarter. He carried it over, rolled it over into having a huge third where he went seven of eight. The only shot he missed was blocked by Bones Highland. Devin Booker had eighteen of his eventual thirty eight in the third quarter on seven of eight, shooting two of two from

the outside, two two from the free throw line. Clippers still though within striking distance. They had it to within five, but they got outscored in the fourth quarter thirty one to twenty two after entering it just down five, and turnovers would kill them down the stretch. When it was a six point game and the Clippers still had life at around the three minute mark, I want to say, yeah, Russell Westbrook was at the line three thirteen mark,

one fifteen one on nine was the score. But then Chris Paul hit a tough shot. I think it was in front of Bezza Zubas who played

it well. Didn't matter. Then Russell Westbrook had a turnover, DeAndre Aden got an easy won RUSS another turnover, another CP three tough step back jumper Clippers time out, and after that the game was pretty much over at one twenty one to one oh nine, as the Clippers had a few more turnovers misqs on offense, and they really waved the white flag at about the one minute mark, took another time out with fifty eight seconds left, just got

out executed, and they didn't score in the final Let's see three thirteen of the ball game. So you go through scoring slumps at the end of both halves and Phoenix loaded up, and your margin for air is slim enough that if you don't hang with the Phoenix Suns for stretches of a ball game, but if you don't match them shot for shot, the score is gonna end up looking a lot more lopsided, which you did. One twenty three one o nine was the score when it was just a six point game with three

minutes left. Again, Clippers up by thirteen that second quarter. You gotta close, you gotta stamp by double digits. Heading into the half. It was fifty one to thirty nine with five minutes left in the third, and the Suns would go on that big run and have it tied at fifty nine at the half. I'm telling you right now. It wasn't so much on

the Clippers defensively. They contested a lot of those shots. It's not going to matter, and that could be demoralizing at times and deflating when you play your best defensively and the Sun still hit and Tory Craig again has a big game with seventeen and five mate three pointers and a lot of timely, big momentum shifting shots six of nine from the field, five of eight from distance for his seventeen and he's out there talking. He did a little bit of

talking yesterday saying, yeah, they put a Viats' zoobots on me. I figured I would get have a big game in Game one. He had another big game. And even though the Sun's got just thirteen points off the bench, it doesn't matter. They're top heavy. Everyone was in double figures with their starters. Durant twenty five, Craig seventeen, DeAndre eight and fourteen had ten of those on the second. He knocked down some jumpers too, Chris

Paul's sixteen, Devin Booker thirty eight. Craig, yes, is getting open looks because they're loading up on everyone else, just like in Game one. But kd CP three and Devin Booker took a lot of tough shots and made a lot of them. CP three was eight of fourteen, Kevin Durant ten of nineteen, and Devin Booker fourteen is twenty two and as a team,

the Phoenix Suns shot almost fifty nine percent from the field. They only hit ten threes, but they took six less than the Clippers, who only hit one more to eleven, and the Clippers still won the battle of the boards, at least on the offensive reboundy or in the offensive rebounding department twelve to seven, but the Suns ended up getting up five more shots outrebounded them overall thirty five to thirty two. Clippers got to the free throw line of ton

they got fouls. They attempt at thirty one free throws. It's seventeen more than Phoenix did and they knocked down twenty eight of them. That's ninety percent. That's good. But you gotta start hitting your threes against this team. That was my biggest key coming into this series. The Clippers have to win the math problem, which is a hot shooting mid range team, a bunch of guys that shoot around fifty percent in the mid range, which is elite.

That's what Kawai shoots two. So to beat that, to combat that, to counter that, you gotta knock down three pointers. The Clippers thrive in that area, but they haven't so far in this series, where they're shooting about thirty five percent from the outside so far. Certain guys are due. My second biggest point, our biggest key, biggest X factor in the

series. Norman Powell thought he needed to average an effish in twenty. Well, through two games, he's only scored twenty six points after being on a heater ending the season. The last three games of the regular season, he scored twenty seven against the Lakers, twenty three against Portland, and twenty nine against Phoenix and their backups. And so far in this series he's four for eleven and five for ten. Now, neither of those numbers to me are

enough shot attempts. He's also just one for seven from the outside, and he was struggling from deep. Even though he was getting to the basket at the ends of the regular season, he still wasn't knocking down three pointers where he was won for his last thirteen, So he may just be cold there. He can heat up in a hurry, I believe, but it's gonna have to be an hurry. As in Thursday night, Norm comes off the bench and gets hot for a quarter and it completely changes a ball game.

Clippers were down five hitting into the fourth. They were down just six or three minutes left. The game was well within reach, but turnovers and miss shots and miss q's out there would doom them. And those open threes when Kawhi Leonard is passing out of double teams and triple teams, which you know are coming, especially without Paul George right now, you gotta knock those shots down. The role players have to be better. Westbrook was shooting wise after

three for nineteen performance nine of sixteen twenty eight points. But there's got to be consistency from somebody off the bench right now, and they're searching. But I think if Norman Pale doesn't have a good series, I don't see a path for the Clippers to win this series. That's how critical he is to this team. Said it all season long. I think he can be the

third most important player. I mean, he averaged the most points off the bench in the NBA this season as just over seventeen even with two stints on the injured list for a significant amount of time. Otherwise he'd likely be the sixth man of the year. He's had a great season, but he hasn't even gotten the seventeen and one of these games yet, and I think without Paul George, he needs to have a couple of Norm Powell games where he

goes off for twenty five or thirty. He could do it. Right now, he's not even putting enough enough shots to get there, and he's not finding the three ball. He's not finding his range from the outside. That's concerning. Same with Nicholas Batoum. While he shot thirty nine percent of the season, it has been feast or famine and right now looking for manna from heaven in the playoffs because he is one for seven from the outside in the

first two games. I think he hit his first three attempt at end Game one and then missed the next few. You gotta get more than just three points in two games from Nicholas Batoum so far. I know he's out there mostly for defensive purposes and switchability and versatility, but this is basically what's required of this Clippers team to beat Phoenix. They're not just going up against a

good team in the first round. They're going up against a team that has some of the highest top end talent in the league, and most people are picking to come out of the West. If you're gonna pull off the upset, a few guys are gonna have to play above their heads defensively. I like the effort again tonight, but they're gonna be nights like this where it doesn't matter and your offense is going to have to win you a game, and they haven't been good enough on that end through two games. Really,

they won game one. Sons were missing some shots, they got the jump on him, a lot of offensive rebounds. There was a game they were up sixteen, there was a twenty five point turnaround. They were down by nine in the second half. They pulled her off late with Russell Westbrook and his heroics. But tonight they didn't close down six or three minutes left. They don't score in the last three minutes in thirteen seconds starting things off tonight,

Let's go to Damien in La Damien. You're on Clippers staff without amazin triple Hey, thank you for taking my call. Brother. You know I would say tough loss, but this was kind of in the DNA. For me, I expected that, you know, we might have a difficult time, but I will tell you this, I am extremely encouraged, and I'll tell you why I want to spend a little time talking about the Suns.

We know about the Clippers. You did a great job speaking about the Clippers just now, But I don't expect that the Suns can play much better than what you've seen, Adams. And you don't think Kevin Durant can go better, you can get hotter from the field than just ten of nineteen for twenty five points, because I do. I really, I really think that he can. The question is are we going to let him do that? Because

the Flippers team do have an invested interest in in hampering the guy. And this has been two games now, Adam, so we can't say that it's an anomaly, that it's a fluke that these guys are not keyed in on Kevin Durant and they don't understand what it is that he's doing. We know how to descend him, We know how to descend this squad. Well, he's shooting from the field in the series so far. I wouldn't go too far in the direction of like, he's shooting under forty percent and they know

how to defend him. He he just isn't taking a lot of shots. But but this is what I mean by this is that when you talk about defending a superstar, it's not about stopping him. It's about containing him and getting him to take the shots that you want to take. And I've noticed that he's not taking a lot of shots that he wants to take. We're not necessarily letting him always get to his spots on the floor. Adam, they're doing They're doing a solid job, I would say, But ten of

his makes still came in the mid range. He's just a tough shot maker, you know, the pro I'm not. I'm not saying that we're gonna stop him. I don't want us to stop him, you know what I'm saying. I want to give him some fall confidence. And what's going on. What I'm saying is is that I don't really think that the rest of the team can play much better. I don't think that Booker is gonna have another thirty eight forty point game. I really don't think that that's gonna happen.

I think you're fooling yourself then I don't think you know who Devin Booker is because this is light work for him. He can do this easily. I believe in the NBA Finals he had two forty point games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. Know who he is, Adam, I know who he is. Well, it's a part of the team that we haven't seen. We haven't seen everything defensively from this team yet, and they have another gear to hit defensively. We let this one get away. They can't

play the Sun can't play much better. That's my point, and we should be encouraged by that. All right. I appreciate the phone called Damien. Look, they got the split, and that's great. They had to have the split to have a chance to win this series. You gotta win a game in Phoenix, and they got game one. But I'm telling you, I think you're underestimating this Phoenix Suns team. In the firepower they have. Devin Booker can get thirty eight again, KD can go above twenty five points.

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that, Oh they just took Phoenix's best shot tonight. Now this could happen again in Game three because the problem is you're talking about another gear. Defensively, the Clippers played good defense and they still scored one hundred and twenty three points. They only hit ten three pointers to do it. They only attempted fourteen free throws. The Suns are very much capable of putting together back to back performances like this. You're

gonna have to match them at time, shot for shot. You gotta be better offensively because they're tough to slow down when they're hot, which happens a lot when you have two guys that can eat get you a clean easy forty. And Kevin Durant or Devin Booker wasn't Kevin Durant tonight he had twenty five, but Devin Booker has thirty eight on twenty two shots. Next game,

it could be the other way around. That's what makes them difficult. You gotta pick your poison a little bit and hopefully get lucky and they have an off night. Clippers fault once twenty three to one O nine in Phoenix in game two coming up next, back to your phone calls eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty. I said this when they brought in Kevin Durant. The Suns are a super team when

you have four players that good. When you have a team that went to the NBA Finals two years ago, you bring in a star like Kevin Durant. They can reach heights and have stretches that not many teams can match offensively were their shot making is just other worldly and on a different level. You hope that they go through a few slumps and you're able to weather the storm.

There's gonna be games like this though. How many from the Phoenix Suns, Well, hopefully not four Clippers fall thoughte Tonight They're coming back home to Crypto dot Com Arena Thursday night, tip off at seven thirty. We'll have Clippers count down at six thirty. More Clipper stock coming up next. Suns win one twenty three to one on nine over your Los Angeles Clippers in Game two in this best of seven first round series is tied up at a game

apiece, with Game three coming back to Los Angeles Thursday night. Welcome back into Clipper Stock. I'm out, I'm oslin to eight seven seventy five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty. If you think what Devin Booker tonight did is an outlier. Him going for thirty eight on

twenty two shots. I got news for you. He had back to back forty point games against Milwaukee in the NBA Finals, and he was doing that without Kawhi Leonard or excuse me, without Kevin Durant on the floor, which gives you more open looks when the attention goes his way. This is what made them so scary when they brought in KD. They already had a guy who could kill you no matter what the defense does, and now you can't

load up as much against him because they got KD. And if you do, Durant might be the guy that had thirty eight tonight instead of Devin Booker. Choose wisely. The Clippers. Look, they played decent defense the majority of the time and it's not going to matter, so you better score points on the other end and knock down three pointers. They can win that math

problem because they are the better three points shooting team overall. They have been body of work three seasons of doing this, but just this year better team. Devin Booker is a streaky shooter from the outside. He's a career thirty five percent three point shooter, which is kind of shocking considering how perfect his form is. It looks Ray Allen esque, and he still is just a

thirty five percent. I'm guessing a lot of those, though, are off the bounce, tougher three pointers than just spot up stuff eight seven, seven, five two zero eleven fifty tay just a walnut. What's up? You're

on clipper stop without amazin. Hey, Adam, I agree with most of what you said, but defensively, you know, in that second quarter, I thought that we had a really good chance to push that lead, you know, to maybe fifteen twenty, but I thought that Mason Plumley was playing a little too soft on it. And then eight and kept making like four or five shots in a row, and they were pretty open, and I

thought that we were kind of soft on that area. They were giving him up to eight, and they were giving him up to eight, and you have to choose and pick your poison. Aiden and Craig are going to get open shots. I agree with that. I just think it was way too open where I thought there should have been a little bit more resistance. But I know what, they're trying to pick their poison, so I got that

in the fourth quarter. I thought that, I don't know if it was his own defense, but Booker, when every time we were closing out, our closeouts were horrible. We were just like there are two or three times where Powell just ran a Booker and all he did was just dribble right around him and going for ev ten fifteen footer. The closeouts had to be much better where they just stay in front of him and then make them take at least a contested shot. Booker and that fourth quarter had so many wide open

shots. So to me, that fourth quarter the closeouts and that defense needs to be cleaned up. That's that. And then offensively, I agree with you. We when Kawi is getting a double or triple teamed, we got to hit the open three's the role players. Otherwise we're not going to be able to win. I would I would well, I'd like to see maybe in some to change it up a little bit. I would like to see when Kawai kicks it out of the double team, maybe some people can roll

like we didn't see any of that. Tearnce me on cut to the baskets were missing those as well, so I don't know what they gotta do because every time he's getting double triple team that we're shooting a far three, And I'm okay with that sometimes, but sometimes we gotta mix it up, especially when Aimee's not in the game. We should be attacking. And I know Bimbo is there, but if he's getting double triple team, we gotta get some better rotations in there. And maybe when Bimbo's in there, it's a

good time to play more small ball. Bring in Covington, let him play center. If but Toomb's not hitting it threes, I would like to see a little bit mixed up. But overall, I'm encouraged. I'm not I'm not discouraged by the loss, and I think we can still take these next few games at home. Yeah, I think there's a decent chance that for them to win this series, they might have to win the next two games at home. They might You mentioned Byambo there. I thought he had a

really good defensive game. He guarded Kawai Will at times. He had three blocks, Terrence Man did get one at the rim at the end of the third quarter, and I thought played some great defense on CP three to start the second He was just wrecking Chris Paul as he did in Game one. But end of the game Chris Paul hit a couple of tough jumpers hand in his face. Doesn't matter. You mentioned the fourth quarter there with Devin Booker and then them not playing good enough defense on him. Then okay, but

he only had seven of his thirty eight in the fourth. He had eighteen points on the third quarter. Can they play better defense? Yes? Is it not gonna matter sometimes? Yes? The Phoenix Suns are that good when they are on they are extremely difficult to stop. And this was just Game ten with them Kevin Durant. But you see the potential there, and I think the Clippers overall drew the right team. If you look at the first round and what the Kings are doing to the Golden State Warriors, just running

them ragged, that matchup was not favorable for the Clippers. The Phoenix Suns at least play at their pace. They're a slower, more methodical, older team. They're the only team that really has less built up chemistry and is probably the less athletic team than the Clippers, who also have a much better bench. They have a lot of advantages in this series, and that's a big reason why it's tied at a game of peace, so I'm not overly

concerned. I'm just telling you, like what the Phoenix Suns did tonight, they can reproduce this. This isn't some otherworldly shooting night where you say, Okay, it happened once in the series, but now they got it out of their system. No, they can do it again. So the Clippers have to be better on offense. I think they will be Thursday night. Let's hear from Coach lou post game after the Clippers fall in Game two one twenty three to one on nine in Phoenix, Booker Booker k D and CP

through. We really did a good job with just controlling the game. And like I said that in that second half and fourth quarter, like they really took over. You know, we try to blitz, we try to fire. We did a lot of different things, and like I said, they played great, you know, and I'm just proud of our guys because we wasn't satisfied. We're just coming in and winning one game, and I thought

our got scrapped and we gave everything. We had missed some shots, you know, had a couple of key turnovers, but other than that, I thought you know, we came in with the mindset that we wanted to win this game, and so that's all you can really ask for. And so we we did that. Some things we got to be able to clean up, you know, going into the next game, and you know we'll be ready. But like I said, you know, they were down one oh at home and their stars came to play to Night. They had a great

game. You see that game one, they only made eight mid range shots. They made twenty one to Night when you made eleven in the first half. When you see that, like, I mean, that's that's the shot that a lot of teams like to give up. Y'all challenge that shot, well, but they make them. Like when you see that, like, what do you what do you kind of take away from that? Well, I think you just gotta continue to keep mixing coverages up, you know,

not let them get comfortable. And you know, in the first half, I thought we did a good job with our bigs being up and then Aiden, you know, he kind of got going. He made like four or five of'em, and then you know we backed up then Booking Katie and CP got going. So just mixing up our coveragees, try to keep them all balanced. I thought our zone was was pretty good for us at times, but just you know, just gotta keep trying to keep them all balanced as

best as possible. Coach, yesterday you talked about how important it is to keep the guys keep their confidence up. How do you do that after a game like today? Our confidence is great. Our confidence is great. Like you said, we come in play in a hostile environment. We won one, lost one, and like I said, we was in a game. I'll watching like the last six minutes of the game, So I mean, we're very confident. Some things we can clean up and do better, and

we'll be ready to go. There was Coach Lupo's game. Clippers lose Game two in Phoenix to the Suns one twenty three to one on nine. I'm not worried about them being rattled after this. There are a lot of positives to take away from this ball game. I mean, Russell Westbrook missed a dunk in a game where he played really well, was much more efficient on offense. He missed a dunk in the second half. Kadi gets fout on the other end. It was kind of one of those nights were shots they

typically make, including that dunker and three pointers didn't go. But the three point shooting is a little bit concerning so far in this series, just because they haven't hit forty percent yet and they started this game off hot. I believe there were six for thirteen in the first quarter, so they were I think five for their last seventeen from the outside. They got to catch a heater and some of it is just ball movement, but they got open looks.

Eric Gordon four they're eleven. Russ hit two, Kawai had three, they got a couple from Team Man. Terrence Man had a really nice performance. I'd say overall, do they need more scoring? Yes, I've got coming into this series. Just to match the firepower of the Phoenix Suns, You're gonna have to have a few guys, and Terrence Man be one of them. Maybe have a breakout series. Norm Powell's another guy just to help

out Kauhi, and I tweeted this out earlier. One of my concerns as the series goes along is because you get these two really good performances from Kawhi and games won in games two, but you'll worry about him getting worn down as the series goes along because he has to do so much. You know. He led them with seven assists too. He had three steals. He ripped Kevin Durant on one in the first half and went the other way for a dunk. It was just an insane play. And I still think Kawhi

Leonard is the best player in this series. He just got He has to get some help. The supporting cast has to be there for him because with all he's asked to do. When he guarded Kevin Durant, loott in the more in the second half, which I think is why he started to slow down. He only had nine of his twenty five in the second half. Kawhi's on him there. Well, he may not have the legs to close

out games as well, or he might not be as a fish. And he was still eleven or twenty in ball games when you're expending any energy on the defensive end. So it's just something a monitor moving forward here eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty coming back, more of your phone calls. Chuck Mockler will be here from Clips

and Dip. We'll also here from Russell Westbrook post game. Clippers will lose Game two one twenty three to one on nine and in Phoenix to the Sun's Game three Thursday night at the Crypt for Stock next year. On the Patriot amlem fifty, Clippers lose Game two in Phoenix by a final score of one twenty three till one o nine. I'm at I'm auslin. You're listening to

Clippers stock here on the Patriot AM eleven fifty. Back to your phone calls in just a bit here at eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty plus we will hear from Russell Westbrook. But right now, let's get out to Chuck Mockler from Clips and Dip pod does it with myself and will Updyke. I believe they were doing some live streaming earlier and we got a podcast coming out on the off day tomorrow. Chuck, where was this game lost for you? I mean, I hate to say this, but it was lost

in the role players? Right. You look at Nico and Bones and Norm they don't make a single three. I don't know how many games the Clippers win with those guys don't make a single three. So I think you gotta take your hat to Phoenix. They got what they needed to get you know, they're big three went off, plus Tory Craig, he did his thing, and that's what they needed. The mid range mass won this game, and we just got to help the role players, you know, shoot better

in front of a raucous home crowd. And I'm on Thursday. Yeah, And one of the warning signs to me is just that the Clippers only score one hundred and nine points. They're not hitting three pointers so far to high rate in this series they need to be. They're not getting big performances from Norman Powell or Terrence Man or Nicholas Batoum standout performances from guys. When you're down, Paul George, you just have to have it from at least one

guy. Russ was good with twenty eight, but Phoenix, this isn't abnormal. They can hit these shots, they can make these shots, and they can put up one hundred and twenty three points. There's gonna be games where you have to hang with them offensively, and they just haven't shown that they have enough scoring punch so far. Really to me, in the first two games, well, it's been tough, right, you know, Terrence went

three for three, right for what he attempted. It was literally perfect, but I think Ty had had a bit of walking rotations in this one. I didn't like a lot of the decisions that Eric Gordon made from deep but I mean, if you if you take a step back, because you know I'm both of us. Obviously we watched every Cliffer's possession with the eyes of a hawk. We split two games away, which is exactly what you're supposed

to do through the road team. We we kind of have the advantage coming back in front of his home crowd at Crypto on Thursday, but I think they're going to get it worked out. I don't think there's another night where we get this poor results from our role playing guys. It does hurt to waste such an efficient Westbrook night. I think a lot of us and I was skeptical of the rest trade when it happened, but since then, I'm I've been converted to being a believer. But there might be a regression coming

up. He's had two I mean, he had one wildly efficient games and we lost, and he had a very inefficient night game one and we won. So there are some question Marshall the Clippers as to what really drives a win, I guess from the playoffs, but I also think the sum are still kind of throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. So we got to help the intensities high when we come when we come back to LA because I would love to see the Funs having a battle back from the double

point, double digit deficit in the first quarter. Yeah, the crowd can definitely carry them and help some of that outside shooting. I think just the roar of the crowd in downtown Los Angeles. I don't know what the splits are home and away. Obviously they haven't been a great home team this season, but I do think Clipper Nation is going to show up in a big

way. Now. You mentioned they're throwing stuff at the wall, and we did see coach Lugo extremely small in the fourth quarter with Norma russ Man bones in Kauai. Do you think he was just trying anything and considering they weren't getting stops even with more defenders out there, he was just trying to load up on the offensive side and hoping they can go on and run. Well, I was just saying this, so Will and I are actually live on YouTube right now. I'm taking a quick break from it. But we were

just talking about this. So when you're when you're a wing heavy team to start the season like the Clippers, right you would assume that Marcus Morris, I don't care what people think about him and Robert Covington again, I don't care if people think about him as a player that they're going to get some time on the playoffs. We have now, through a series of some decisions, removed two of those wings from the playoffs, which is killing the Clippers

I think right now. So I think I never want to see the Clippers going out small again. It was a nightmare. I know the postgame Tyler said it was good defensively, but he's also been a patrol with the media, which I do respect. I think some fans should maybe respect at too.

But this is what happens when you make changes too late, like we saw with the batoum starting for Marcus Morris when that maybe should have happened with more than six or seven games left in the regular season, and then with not playing Robert Covington at all, where you just even if putting Robert Cummington in would still be throwing something at the wall to see what sticks. But I hope whatever pieces Tyler throws up the wall next game, if he has

to are bigger than the small ball five. If you put out tonight, well, I gotta be honest. I predicted that Rocco would play at some point in the first two games, and it hasn't happened yet. And it's a little bit more surprising because Nicholas Batoum is one for seven so far from three. Like, I'm surprised he hasn't gone to Roco or didn't tonight, considering the amount of guys that were struggling from the outside and trying that. But you know, maybe I shouldn't be it. He hasn't played much this

season. Do you point that out many times? We'll see what happens as we move along here. But Kawhi Leonard finishes with thirty one. He was still efficient eleven or twenty from the field, three or five from the outside. I'm a little bit concerned because we've seen a history of this. It happens throughout playoff runs where a guy can get worn down as a series goes along because so much has asked of them without Paul George, and if another

guy is inconsistently helping out in tonight. It was r Us with his twenty eight points, but they still needed more shooting out there, especially when Kawhi is being doubled and he's finding the open man. And he did have seven assists. He was very good passing wise. I want to say he had five of those in the first half. But I'm a little bit concerned that Kauai as the series goes along, there's just so much on his plate that I wonder if the efficiency is still going to be there, because it has

to be. Really, they have to have Kawai shoot fifty percent from the field to hang with the Phoenix Suns. I think you're right, but I think one thing we can take solison is that Kawhi went about his rehab exactly like he wanted to, and the results have been there so far, and we just kind of have to put a little bit of hope, which if you're a Clippers fan, you hopefully have a little bit of that leftover that he can still be efficient up until we get PG back, hopefully for either

Game seven or the next round. But I think what's interesting too is you look at those minutes totals for the Suns and the team I mean Kd's averaging more minutes in Kawhi. I think same with Devin Booker, Like we're pushing this team. This Sun team is doing everything they can through these two games to not be down zero two, and they only split them. Right, So at some point the bench guys are going to step up and at some point, yes, Kawhi's EF efficiency might dip a bit, but it's not

going to dip into you know, horrifying territory. You'll let me have that one. So we just got to write it out. We absolutely need to win game three in La relief with the pressure, although no doubt he is Charles Mockler of Clips and Dip. You guys got the stream going right now at Clippers Podcast on YouTube with Will up Deck. Yes, we're on it right now. All right, get back to work. I appreciate you, Charles, thanks for doing this time. We'll go clips. Let's go clips.

We'll take a quick time out, we'll come back. We'll close things out with your phone calls and you'll hear from Russell Westbrook. After the Clippers lose one twenty three to one oh nine in Phoenix to the Sun's Game three coming up on Thursday, huge swing game, pivotal critical game three. I mean, it's usually safe for a game five, but no, Clippers got to find a way to come out and recapture the momentum after losing this one

in Phoenix, and they did make the Sun's work for it. You're down just six with three minutes left after it looked like the Suns could have ran away with it. Clippers were there, but they couldn't cross the finish on tonight, mar clipperstock here on the Patriot Emily in fifty next, Clippers lose one twenty three to one on nine in game two in Phoenix to the Suns. I Matt, I'm oslin. This is Clippers talk, all right. Before we hear from Russell Westbrook, let's go to Morris in Long Beach for

some positivity on the way out tonight, Morris, what's up now? I'm gonna tell you the God's Adam looking. We gotta split. We gotta split in sinning. There's no way Phoenish. Don't let anybody go down here and beat him. The first two games, don good game. The Clippers got what they wanted. They wanted us, They got to split. They got one inside building a house piece by piece. We've got this out of behavior, so I'll talk to you lady. Look, the split is great.

Of course you would sign up for that because the only way they were gonna win the series is if they got to split. They had to have it. But if you had one tonight in a game you're up by thirteen in the series is close to being over. Now. A team can obviously come back down zero two. We've seen the Clippers do it. But there would be so much pressure on the Phoenix Suns if the Clippers had won both games in Phoenix and this was a winnable game tonight. Devin Booker though, thirty

eight points on just twenty two shots. Yeah, he played forty five minutes. He's twenty seven. He can play heavy minutes. Maybe we'll see some fatigue with Kevin Durant. He's been playing forty five in both games so far. CP three. No doubt he's thirty seven, but he still played his best in the fourth quarter near the end of his thirty eight minutes, hitting tough shots. This is a very top heavy Phoenix Suns team that can beat

you with just a few guys going off sometimes because they're that efficient. Jose and Southgate. Jose, what's up? You're on Clipper South the Subada Lawler. I thought we're gonna break the lot of Night, but we were not good enough to Night, particularly to end the first half. I feel like everyone except for Quiet start their halftime like at the two minute marks. But like I said, we weren't good enough, but just not to Night.

I know they're not as I know they're not fully healthy cough cough, but neither are we. And yet we both games. We had a league, kept the league, but we lost it and we split. Still, I haven't had that team man game still. I haven't had that power game. But two of them looks like he needs some home cooking. But all the boys are gonna get it. They're coming back home Clipper Nations. I've been

going to my game as the whole my whole life. I know how we are now that I'm thinking about it, this might be the last time I've been a home team at Staples. Anyways, we need to be out there. I heard that I'm clisting this our lives, so I'm about to go over there. Claps go Clippers, all right. I appreciate the phone call,

Jose. Role players typically play better at home. So there's a lot going in the Clippers favor back home to the safe haven in front of their fans, cliber Nation, you got to show up in a big way on Thursday Night. They need you. They feed off the crowd, especially with Russell Westbrook there there's already a love affair between him and clipber Nation, and the way he roars and just lets out those primal screams, as Brian Semen

would say, he gets the crowd into it. Here was Russell Westbrook though, post game after they lost to Night in Game two. You know, we know it's gonna be a tough serious and you know they came back and took a business tonight. But I thought, we give ourself a chance. We came out the right mindset, throw the game, tough jumpers, shut the bar really well from the field. So what all that we said,

We still give ourself a chance. Uh, you know the way rust they've they've taken twenty shots at the rim in two games and one hundred and five mid rangers at that time. Is that Can you guys live with that shot diet that they're taking? Sorry, what are you say? Can you live with that? Like? Is that something you guys are happy to They're gonna take those. They're a good mid range shooting team. I think historically for them, it just making sure we contesting them. I think a lot of

them tonight we're wide open. I don't know. We didn't get a chance to contest them. So they're shooting us fine, but we've got to make sure we contest in NBA and make sure we're in the vision to make those a little more tougher than normal firs. What allowed you to get in two better offensive rhythm today than the previous game. Just take up my time getting what I want. Nine of sixteen for twenty eight points. He believes they

can be better at contesting those shots with the Phoenix Suns. They're gonna have to be because if you're only scoring one on nine, they're giving up one twenty three. That is a problem. I think. Thursday night, though, the Clippers put on a much better performance in front of their home fans. It's gonna be fun. Seven thirty Tip time from Crypto dot com. Are you yeah? We'll have your pregame show starting at six thirty. No

Eagle was sick. Can't wait. Speaking of I do want to thank the Clippers organization, no it ego, Brian Seaman, Ralph Lawlor, big Brother, Jake Warner, Katie Newton was out. We had Zach l quality, Zach attack our producer holding it down here in the bank. Big thanks to the callers, the listeners. No thanks for Fred Rogan. I thought he was gonna call in the Dean. He's gonna hear about this and the next time I come on Rogan and Rode And you don't already know that until Thursday.

With the pregame show starting at six thirty for Game three, I'm outa Oslin. We'll talk to you then. This has been playoff Clippers Talk, a postgame conversation about your LA Clippers with Adam Osley. If you like the show, subscribe to Clippers Talk on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you podcast. They have the best page. This team has those championship ingredients. They have some of that DNA. You can see it. This is Clippers Basketball. Join us next time on the LA Clippers Audio Network.

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