NBA
MILWAUKEE \u2014 LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was already cautious of what lay forward for his crew after one follow earlier than the beginning of seven consecutive video games away from Intuit Dome after the NBA All-Star break.
Two years in the past, the Clippers misplaced their first 5 video games after the break. Final yr, after a number of practices earlier than the primary sport out of the break, the Clippers fell flat in Oklahoma Metropolis.
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The Clippers solely had one post-break follow earlier than Thursday\u2019s sport in Milwaukee, however the end result was acquainted. The Bucks overcame a 93-80 deficit with 10:55 left to play to beat the Clippers 116-110. It was the third straight yr the Clippers misplaced in Milwaukee and the second straight yr they have been outscored by 15 factors within the fourth quarter towards the Bucks.
The Clippers are not the scrappy underdog with out excessive expectations or Kawhi Leonard for a single sport earlier than January. They’re the crew the Play-In Event-eligible portion of the Western Convention is attempting to take down, and they should get higher whereas on the street. The Clippers have trailed by double digits in each sport they\u2019ve performed in February, and so they have misplaced seven video games this season after main by greater than 10 factors, matching their whole for blown losses from final season.
\u201cI don\u2019t know what the expectations have been, what you guys thought or have been saying,\u201d Leonard mentioned of the Clippers being chased within the West. \u201cHowever we received to take it one sport at a time and simply preserve profitable. That\u2019s our mindset, is attempting to win every sport, and hopefully that may handle itself.\u201d
The Clippers have three extra street video games towards the Central Division earlier than returning to the West Coast subsequent week. They don\u2019t play a sport of their area till March 5. Thursday\u2019s loss in Milwaukee illustrated 5 bigger-picture issues the Clippers have as they maintain onto the sixth seed within the West.
Leonard has but to overlook a sport on account of damage since debuting this season on Jan. 4 (he\u2019s solely missed time on account of damage upkeep), and he tried a season-high 22 photographs Thursday. Leonard shall be going for his first three-game streak of 20-plus factors both Sunday at Indiana or Monday at Detroit, relying on which back-to-back he performs; Leonard mentioned he \u201cgot here out the sport all proper\u201d Thursday and shall be \u201cable to go for the following one.\u201d
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After not reaching the 30-minute mark in his first 12 video games again, Leonard has now performed at the least half-hour in 4 straight video games. Lue finally needs Leonard to stand up to 36 minutes; Leonard\u2019s minute restriction is at present at 32.
However Thursday was an unlucky use of his minutes, as he was carried out with 1:17 left to play and never within the sport on a crucial defensive possession that noticed Taurean Prince nail a dagger nook 3 following a Damian Lillard drive:
The Clippers have been outscored by 11 factors within the 3:31 Leonard was off the ground within the fourth quarter in Milwaukee \u2014 and actually, it was 14 factors, given Bogdan Bogdanovi\u0107\u2019s meaningless 3-pointer to finish the sport. Leonard is getting stronger, however he and the Clippers have a methods to go by way of optimizing his minutes general.
Getting into the fourth quarter Thursday, beginning middle Ivica Zubac had 20 factors on 8-of-13 capturing from the sphere whereas the Clippers outscored the Bucks by seven factors in Zubac\u2019s 29:03.
He would possibly as properly have been in witness safety throughout the fourth quarter.
Zubac failed to attain and even try a single discipline objective within the fourth quarter of Thursday\u2019s collapse. It\u2019s the third straight sport the place Zubac hasn\u2019t tried a fourth-quarter discipline objective, and the fifth time in six video games.
\u201cI don\u2019t know, attempting to determine it out,\u201d Zubac mentioned when requested about being extra of a presence offensively in fourth quarters. He cited the Clippers going to guard-involved pick-and-rolls in fourth quarters, which tends to not solely put Zubac within the dunker spot but additionally provides opposing bigs a greater likelihood at boxing him out and retaining one of many league\u2019s finest offensive rebounders from gaining a bonus on misses.
Ivica Zubac acknowledges that he’s attempting to determine how he might be extra concerned in 4th quarter offense
Zu common FG makes an attempt per quarter this season:
\u2013 3.0 in 1st
\u2013 3.0 in 2nd
\u2013 3.2 in third
\u2013 2.3 \u26a0\ufe0f in 4th (zero tonight at Milwaukee) pic.twitter.com\/jWtA1rIdHT<\/a>
\u2014 Regulation Murray \ud83d\udd04 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 21, 2025<\/a>