Every team in the NBA goes through some swoons throughout the lengthy regular season, and it looks as if the Los Angeles Clippers are going through theirs. For the second time in a week, they saw a double-digit lead evaporate in the fourth quarter, leading to a devastating loss.
The most recent occurrence was on Monday evening against the Milwaukee Bucks. Things looked good for the first three quarters as Los Angeles was overcoming some tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back on the road.
They were catching the Bucks short-handed, as they were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with Achilles soreness. Khris Middleton is also sidelined still from a sprained ankle suffered over a month ago.
Late game collapses have hurt the Clippers, who are having a bit of an identity crisis recently. They play a traditional center in Ivica Zubac, and for a stretch of the season, were arguably the most dominant team in the NBA. But teams have begun countering that, with the Clippers’ answer being to go small but it hasn’t always worked as effectively as they would hope.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Tyronn Lue, James Harden, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Being without backup point guard Russell Westbrook, who fractured his hand over the weekend and had to undergo surgery, certainly hurts their small ball alignments. Slightly more concerning, the Clippers offense went ice cold when Doc Rivers and the Bucks changed to a zone defense.
“We ran what we always run,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said of his team’s zone offense. “We just didn’t get to the basket. But we got open looks, got good shots. We just didn’t make the open 3s that we normally can make. But also, we didn’t attack the basket the way we could as well. So give them credit for going to the zone, and we just got to be better.”
A 15-0 Milwaukee run highlighted their comeback in the final quarter of the game. NBA All-Star Kawhi Leonard missed eight of his last nine shots.
Tired legs could have been the culprit on Monday night, as Los Angeles stayed perimeter-orientated, taking only four shots in the fourth quarter inside the paint. It was something James Harden admitted disappointment in after the game.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Tyronn Lue, James Harden, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
“Knowing what we’re trying to do or get to,” he said. “The middle of the floor is wide open in that small lineup. I think we were a little confused, as far as who sets the screen.”
The top of the Western Conference is extremely tight. If the Clippers want any chance of locking down one of those spots in the NBA Postseason, they need to clean things up and fast. Adjusting to life without Westbrook will take a little while, but time is not on their side to move up the standings.
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