The message was clear from to his group: Play onerous and compete.
After seeing his gamers wrestle within the final three video games — together with two losses — Lue insisted his gamers carry out at the next stage in opposition to the fast-paced Indiana Pacers on Thursday night time at Intuit Dome.
Lue wasn’t going to simply accept any excuses, even when the had been enjoying short-handed due to a commerce made earlier within the day.
In what grew to become a topsy-turvy recreation, the Clippers opened a 22-point lead within the second quarter, fell behind by 13 within the third, then rallied late earlier than finally dropping .
performed a season-high 33 minutes and scored 11 of his 19 factors within the fourth, however that wasn’t sufficient to avoid wasting the Clippers from their third consecutive loss.
had a double-double with 18 factors and 15 rebounds and had 22 factors, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.
However 19 turnovers coupled with their lack of ability to cease guard doomed L.A. Haliburton scored 9 of his 14 factors within the fourth quarter.
“Simply speaking to the blokes at the moment, they owned it,” mentioned Lue, in regards to the crew’s current struggles earlier than enjoying the Pacers. “We’ve to be higher, throughout the board. It might’t be from a scarcity of enjoying onerous and competing. We perceive that we’re a defensive-minded crew first. Every part else takes care of itself and we haven’t accomplished it the final three video games. So, they understood that, I perceive that and we simply received to be higher. It doesn’t imply you’re going to win each recreation, however the best way you lose and the way you lose is one thing completely totally different.”
Earlier than the sport, the Clippers (28-23) and for guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round draft picks. Additionally they traded reserve guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks for MarJon Beauchamp.
The Clippers have been the most effective defensive groups within the NBA, rating third in factors allowed (107.5), second in defensive ranking (108.2) and second in steals (10.2).
Even with all that, the Clippers knew their protection could be pushed by the Pacers.
They got here to L.A. ranked tenth in scoring (107.5), fourth in field-goal proportion (49.1%) and ninth in three-point capturing (36.9%).
The Clippers began robust, holding the Pacers to 22 factors on 27.6% capturing within the first quarter, whereas scoring 42 factors.
Indiana heart Myles Turner took a forearm to the face and needed to be helped again to the locker room with 6:13 left within the first. He was later dominated out for a concussion analysis.
However the Pacers (29-21) stored clawing again, taking a 64-61 lead at halftime by outsourcing the Clippers 42-19 within the second quarter.
