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Even after beating the owner of the NBA’s best record, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue spoke cautiously on Sunday afternoon ahead of his team’s prediction against the Brooklyn Nets.
As the Clippers played at full power for the first time in nearly a month, their raw potential became sharper on Friday against Utah, a win that gave them “good confidence,” Lue said. And yet, he added, “we still have a long way to go offensively and defensively.”
It has never been more evident than Sunday inside Staples Center.
Every opportunity the Clippers gave themselves to claim a second straight signing victory has been compromised by mistakes that doomed their chance to recover from a 15-point deficit in a 112-108 loss to the Nets, even with Kevin Durant watching from the sideline at an injured hamstring.
The Clippers made four more three points, grabbed 12 more rebounds and tied Brooklyn firepower 37 points from James Harden and 28 from Kyrie Irving with 34 points from Paul George and 29 from Kawhi Leonard.
Backing up by two with the ball and 11 seconds left, Leonard stepped into the paint for what would have been an equalizer but was sentenced to an offensive foul as he made the layup. It was a questionable whistle given Harden’s placement in the key, but appropriate for a night the Clippers gave chances. Seventeen Clippers’ turnovers became 27 points for the Nets, who won their sixth straight game and had just six turnovers.
Leonard wanted his fault disputed, but the Clippers burned their criticism earlier in the quarter. George was off the pitch for the final 2 minutes 50 seconds, having run into his minute restriction in his second game after a toe injury.
George embodied the contrast between brilliance and the mistakes that defined loss. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to bring the Clippers back into the game, but was also responsible for six turnovers in 33 minutes.
The Clippers lost for just the second time in their last seven games.
Brooklyn (20-12) held a double-digit lead that grew to 15 for nearly five minutes in the fourth quarter until the Clippers finally gained ground with a three-point run from George with 7:19 left which reduced their deficit at eight. After a save, George then went through the paint with his dribble before his sixth pass found Ivica Zubac for a dunk which led to an immediate time out for the Nets.
As he did during the final five minutes of Friday’s win over Utah to neutralize the effectiveness of center Rudy Gobert, Lue played a small roster with Marcus Morris at center in the final three minutes – the decision coming right after seeing an exploded defensive cover allow a dunk for Nets center DeAndre Jordan. Going small has its risks, however, and one of them was confirmed when Jordan slapped in a rebound with 11 seconds left to give Brooklyn a 110-108 lead.
Leonard had four of his first five three points, double his previous season’s high in any first quarter of the season, en route to 18 points in the first half. When he sat down after playing the entire first quarter, the attack revolved around George, who made a pair of quick jumps at halfway and finished the first half with 13 points. The pair made 12 of 23 shots before halftime, but the help was moderate with their teammates making eight of 23 shots.
The Clippers (22-10) showed a certain level of intensity. After Patrick Beverley fouled Harden with an arm across his chest to stop an easy breakaway opportunity, Harden pushed the Clippers guard, a former Houston teammate, and the pair had to be pulled apart by teammates.
But outside of Leonard’s early offensive effectiveness, the Clippers rarely showed the level of attention to detail required to win. Nine first-half turnovers – four by George – became 12 points for Brooklyn. Lue’s pre-game goal of limiting the Nets’ easy opportunities was further undermined by the range of points the Clippers gave up on cuts behind the back line of their defense; Brooklyn took 20 shots to the edge before half-time.
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