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 hope for La Clippers basketball at now your host, You, sir,
are a bad man, Adam Ousley. Clippers lose by five once again,
this time to score one fifteen to one ten in favor of the Miami
Heat. Welcome into your postgame show. Coming up, we'll get to your
post game box score you hear from the head coach and the players after this
one. But first, back to Miami, back to your voice of the
Clippers and Noah Eagle. So Noah. Second half turnovers once again dooming the
Clippers sum Yes, sixteen turnovers. Look, Torontolu said at the beginning of
the season, he is okay with about twelve to thirteen turnovers. That's a
sweet spot. And let's just think about that. Even if it's thirteen turnovers,
which by the way, the Clippers on the season are averaging sixteen turnovers
per game. Even if it's thirteen turnovers, that's three more possessions that you're
taking away from Miami and a game that you lost by five, and a
game in which I eats zoobots missed a wide open bunny layup, and a
game in which Reggie Jackson missed a wide open bunny layup and Paul George had
a pretty good look at a three at a three point deficit that would have
tied the game that just didn't fall. Certainly, there are things that happen,
bounces that don't go your way, but you have to be able to
control the things that you can control. And for the Clippers, that is
how many times, at least some of the time they turned the basketball over.
Just three fewer turnovers, you probably find a way to win this game.
So it's something to keep in mind as we head towards the rest of
this season. For the Clippers, that's been their Achilles heal pretty much all
year. Everything else I actually thought was pretty good. They had twenty four
assists in the game. They went seventeen of thirty six from three, nineteen
of twenty one from the free throw line. It felt a lot like what
they did two years ago to me, and how they shot the ball,
how they got those shots and drive kicks, swing and getting to the pain
or dying trying and overall, you've got to be pretty pleased with that level
of performance. But the defense in the fourth quarter allowing thirty one heat points
and in the second quarter allowing thirty six, and then those turnovers really plagued
them in this one. And you know, Miami after starting of five from
distance, they went twelve for the next twenty seven forty four percent. That
didn't help either, But the turnovers and Miami having ten more shot attempts out
there, then the Clippers would hurt them. You know, I did think
there was a great performance in this one. Nicholas Batoum had two of the
best hustle plays we have seen all season long. Yeah, I thought that.
I really feel like Batune played some great basketball over the last several games.
This is not just the one or two game thing. This is really
dating back four or five where he has shot it well again tonight, three
of seven from three to four of eight overall eleven more points. He is
defended incredibly well, and then yeah, at the very end, he gets
that turnover that allows for the Clippers to potentially go for the tie. He's
just been playing his tailoff, and he's been doing anything you could ask him
to do, hustling around the court, playing smart basketball. Just he's been
a coach's dream. But that's been how he has really carried himself ever since
putting on a Clipper uniform a couple of years ago. And so, I
mean, it's a pleasure to have Nick Batoum on your team. It's a
blessing in so many ways. And I think he's proving exactly why once again
over this recent couple of weeks stretch final game of the four game roadie is
in DC on Saturday. Tip time for that one is at four. We'll
have your Clippers countdown pregame shows starting at three. No Eagles safe travels to
Washington, DC, and we will talk to you on Saturday. Oh Adam,
you know it's our nation's capitol. It's not like there was almost NBA
history or kind of NBA history last year. Can wait, it's coming up
next. We'll get your post game box score. Clippers lose by five in
Miami and you're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers Port Leonard Running. You're listening
to LA Clippers Basketball Top Clipper puts it down, plus the foul every game.
I'll see sit long on their official home Clippers losing Miami one fifteen so
one ten to the heat. Welcome back into your post game show. I'm
Adam Oslin coming up on AM five seventy LA Sports. We'll have Clipper stock
eight six six ninety eight seven two five seventy eight six six ninety eight seven
two five seventy is the phone number if you'd like to get on. But
while we have a moment, let's poston seconds for station identification. Here on
the Los Angeles Clippers radio network, this is LA Clippers Basketball. AM five
seventy KLAC Los Angeles, ninety eight seven KYSR HD two Los Angeles and iHeart
Radio station. Clippers end up shooting forty six percent from the field, even
better from the outside seventeen to thirty six. That's forty seven percent from three.
No issues there, but Miami shot fifty one percent overall, and after
starting over five they went forty four percent from the outside. Ended up hitting
twelve three point nurse. Clippers had and won the free throw advantage. Got
to the line twenty one times or twenty one attempts, hit nineteen of them.
That's great. For this team that's been struggling at the charity stripe so
far this season. Miami got there and attempted just fourteen in this one.
The difference Clippers was sixteen turnovers, twice as many as the Miami Heat,
and ten of them came in the second half and Miami ended up getting up
ten more shot opportunities. Your league score for the Clippers, well, it
was my player to watch and he got up twenty shots and did all he
could. Paul George had twenty nine ten to twenty shooting five of eleven from
the outside, eight board, seven assists. Did have a couple of tough
turnovers in the fourth quarter, finished with four of them total. As for
the Miami Heat, bam out of Bio with that fifteen point third quarter was
a problem. And then Jimmy Butler, who at one point scored sixth straight
in the fourth for Miami. He finished with twenty six points on ten of
twelve shooting. Didn't even know if he was going to be able to play
played well. Clippers lose one fifteen to one ten in Miami to the Heat.
They have lost four or five and dropped to fourteen and thirteen on the
season. Coming up next, we're looking for postgame audio from Coach Low and
the players. Clippers next game in DC on Saturday. We'll talk about that
as well, plus Clippers Stalk on AM five seventy LA Sports. You're listening
to the Los Angeles Clippers radio network. But I never heard about him with
another girl. Oh Paul George LA Clippers basketball continue ice in his pains as
he carries the three on the home of your LA Clippers. But I don't
Why are you always at the man when you broke? Clippers lose one fifteen
to one ten in Miami to the heat. Maybe I'm at a Moslin Welcome
back into your post game show. Coming up on AM five seventy l A
Sports, we'll have Clippers Stalk for you eight sixty six nine eight seven two
five seventy eight six six ninety seven two five seventy or get to me at
follow adam A. Clippers will look to bounce back in the Nation's Capitol on
Saturday. They're taking on the Washington Wizards in DC. Tip time for that
one at four pm. We'll have Clippers Countdown your pregame show starting at three.
Outside of Los Angeles, we'll talk to you. Then in La you're
on Amp five seventy. Next, we got Clippers to day. The world
is so small in the night. To welcome into Clipperstock. Here's a new
sheriff in town. You won't be able to denay if you're going to go
to the NBA Finals. I believe it in my heart. This is the
best team in the history of the franchise. I am all about the Clipper
Nation. This is Clippers Talk. They're trying to win the whole thing.
A postgame look, it's your La Clippers recapping the game, the stars and
looking ahead to what's next to here episodes you've missed. Subscribe to Clippers Talk
on iHeart Radio or wherever you podcast. Now your host of Clippers Talk.
Here's Adam Asla. Clippers lose in Miami by five. Well the similar score.
Yesterday's lost to the Orlando Magic, this time one fifteen to one ten.
Yesterday it was one sixteen, one eleven. Oh, welcome into Clippers
Talk. I'm Adam Oslin. We got a good one for you. Eight
six six nine eight seven two five seventy eight six six nine eight seven two
five seventy is the phone number you can get to me on Twitter at follow
Adam A coming up, We're gonna hear from the head coach, and William
Updyke from Clips and Dip will be here once again back to back and he's
doing back to back shows with me for a little bit of Clippers Double Dip,
Clips and Double Dip. So I'm gonna come right out and say it.
This is the first time this season, with the Clippers dropping four of
their last five games and starting this road trip off one and two. They
close it out Saturday in DC, that I have a slight bit of concern
about this team. And I haven't said that all year, and I've been
talking others down away from the ledge, not off it the other way.
I've been telling them it's gonna be okay. It's early. It's starting to
get to that point where you have to start making strides and show a sense
of urgency and find ways to win games. And the reason I say this
is because I just saw this stat and I think it's meaningful. And this
is coming from our friend Joey Lynn from si Now does a great job covering
the Clippers, but coming into the game, the Clippers have played the second
easiest schedule in the West. And now they're fourteen and thirteen and they have
the NBA's most difficult remaining schedule left to go, So they haven't taken advantage
of an easy schedule just being one game over five hundred because they've been banged
up and injured. Now, there's two ways to look at it. If
they didn't have a preferable tiptoe through the Tulips like of like schedule so far,
they'd probably be well under five hundred. Given the injuries going on,
the schedule has given them some time for guys to get healthy and for them
to play much better basketball the rest of the way, while there's still above
five hundred staying afloat. But it has to start now. And I told
you what coach lu said, and this is the other reason I think there's
some cause for concern here. He came out and said this at the start
of December, that they need to start and here's the full quote. I'll
give it to you. It's hard to really assess our team because our guys
have been out for so long, but this stretch of twenty to twenty five
games is going to be very important for us. Tonight's the start of something
new, and then the Clippers went out and beat Charlotte in dramatic fashion,
with Kawhi Leonard hitting the game winner. But since then, well, they
gave up too many points to offenses that were both bottom five in the league.
And the reason for that is because the Clippers have had too many turnovers
and at inopportune times. First, yesterday in Orlando, they have just one
in the first quarter, but they had sixteen in the last three. They
had just six in the first half of this one, but they had ten
in the third and fourth quarters combined, and those ten turnovers in the second
half, well, they ended up giving Miami ten more shot attempts in this
one than the Clippers had. And that's the type of stuff that comes back
to haunt you when you can't take care of the basketball and has been a
common thread so far this season for the Clippers. Twenty fourth and turnover is
getting fifteen point two or given up fifteen point two per game coming into this
one, and nothing's really changed on that end. And I think there's an
easy answer for why this has happened. It's because they've had so many different
lineups and the health issues have led to chemistry issues and guys not being on
the same page and knowing where someone else is going to be on the court.
Not a lot you can do about it, but they got to start
ramping up and starting to play better basketball on offense, because as good as
they were with shooting seventeen to thirty six from three, forty seven percent better
than they shot from two, they just shot forty six percent from the field
in this one, but you're giving away free possessions. They just had a
couple more shots. They likely win this one, and they did have some
bad turnovers on the third and fourth quarter at bad times. Paul George came
back into the ball game at about the seven minute mark of the fourth Clippers
down by two after leading by three heading into the fourth, had to play
with the backups. They were a minus five in those first five minutes,
basically in the fourth quarter without Paul George. He comes in, they're down
now by two and has a couple of turnovers. Now he hit some big
shots late to give them a chance and had a chance for a three pointer
to tie the game didn't go, but they also blew some bunnies, some
easy ones right at the basket. Avitza Zubos had the mismatch, PG found
him, went down on the left block and blew a layup, probably should
have dunked it. Reggie Jackson blew a lay up late. I want to
say, bring it to within two or three. And maybe it's fatigue.
On a back to back, you start missing some easy ones, your legs
feel healthy or feel fatigued out there, and the Clippers haven't been fully healthy.
But they did get Luke Anard back in this one. But of course
they lost Terrence Mann in this one, who was just coming off maybe his
best game of the season yesterday with nineteen points, a season high for him,
but goes out late, which looked to be a concussion. He's in
concussion protocols right at the end of overtime. So one in one out.
They got John wallback, but I'd say he struggled. Overall, they'd have
nine points, eight assists, and four turnovers. But too many miss opportunities
by this team so far early in the season, with games against inferior competition
and they're just fourteen and thirteen. Is mostly due to the injuries, yes,
but the standing don't care, The schedule doesn't care, and it's unforgiving
coming up. They got the toughest schedule remaining in the NBA. That's where
I'm coming from with my level of concern. It's not a Code red,
it's not def Con one. It's not the Fred Rogan panic meter. I'm
in orange, I'm been red. No, it's nothing like that. Maybe
a little bit of yellow, maybe, I think that's fair. Clippers the
lost four or five and now all of a sudden that game in DC where
your hope Kawhi Leonard's back. We pretty much knew he wasn't going to play
the second game of a back to back. We weren't even sure Paul George
was going to. He was awesome and did most of his damage in the
second half, but it wasn't enough because of the turnovers, the self inflicted
wounds, the careless ones at that the lieball turnovers. This team is beating
themselves and we're over thirty percent of the way into the season. So I
think it's fair to address some of these errors and just faulty plays and miscommunications
that they've had and say they do have some issues right now. Can they
be fixed and remedy? Yeah? I think the roster is there, the
players are there to correct this stuff. But they gotta put together a streak
of good health. Get Norman Powell back, get Terrence Mann back at Kawai
back, because the games are about to get much tougher. I know the
Washington Wizards aren't playing great basketball right now, but they have a team that
can beat you. They have some guys that can explode offensively. Kyle Kuzma
is having a heck of a year. They're eleven and fourteen. But after
that, they got to take on Boston, who just smacked the number one
team in the West and the Phoenix Suns last night. We're up by forty
throughout most most of it look like a Game seven Sons home game once again
against the Dallas Mavericks last year in that second round. Boston is that good
and they don't even have Robert Williams right now. And that's the Clippers are
welcoming in Monday night. So things have to start to change quickly. They
got to clean up the turnover issue. Hard to be a very good basketball
team when you're turning the ball over like this, hard to be an elite
team. Clippers lose one fifteen to one ten. They lose by five,
just like the last night, slightly different score, but they lose in Miami
on this one. Jose and Southgate. Jose, what's up here? On
Clippers stock with Adam Awslin. Hey, I don't thank you again, Fino
for for being here for us. I got you, Jose, what's up?
No, just like you said, just those slaves, I didn't.
I didn't like that that that three were Paul George. But you know,
I saw we were leaving Green going to Yellow after that Sacramento game. But
you're talking me off the ledge, so you know, I'm trying to hear.
I'm trying to be here for you. I'm not. I'm not concerned
just because I like, because you said we're gonna have the hardest schedule.
So if he gave me two games to preparis for that, to give us
that feeling that fire, ain't it? Yeah, we should have had it
already. But I think it's gonna set us up good for the Wizards game.
You know. Oh, let's see how we do. But for Boston
and then the Sun then we'll see how we do from there. We might
be in the red, but what's see how we do. Anyways, Thank
you, Adam, let's go Clippers, all right, Jose, appreciate the
phone call. Yeah, we'll see that. Wizards game is a big one
on Saturday. Now the Clippers have to step on the gas a little bit
and show the team that they can be the team everybody thought they were going
to be coming into this season. A championship contend or one of the favorites
starts on Saturday. We're hoping Kawhi Leonard will be ready to go. We'll
take a quick time out. We'll come back looking for postgame audio from coach
lou after this one. Clippers lose one fifteen to one ten in Miami to
the Heat. As Jimmy Butler went off down the stretch in the fourth quarter,
he carried Miami Bam. Auto Bio did especially in the third quarter with
fifteen of his thirty one and the Clippers gave him ten more possessions, so
they got up ninety shots to the Clippers eighty attempts. Well, Clippers,
stock next, you're on Amp five seventy spots, and you know me and
my two threes and Magache smiling. You're seeing me from the nosebleed from distance.
The odds on favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien heavily can test it and
it doesn't matter. On the home of your La Clippers. Some good performances
but also some sloppy play by the Clippers comes back to haunt them. They
lose in Miami one fifteen to one, ten to the Heat. Now one
and two on this four game road trip, which concludes on Saturday in DC
against the Wizards. Welcome back into Clippers stock. I'm out of Oslin to
eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy eight six six nine eight seven
two five seventy and I'm seeing a lot of people talk about why is Robert
Covington not playing more? Played just seven minutes in this one, and they
all came in the first half. I thought he played pretty well. I
thought he looked like Rocco had a big block, hit a three pointer,
and we all thought that Clippers were gonna unleash wing stop this season. It's
harder without Kauai, without Terrence Man, but Roco not playing at all in
the second half, It's a little bit curious. Mosses Brown got some minutes.
I think he's been more than serviceable, but Rocco has been really good
at times was very good yesterday against Orlando. It's just hard to understand why
he's not playing much, especially the second game of a back to back.
Guys are gonna have some tired legs. I thought Nicholas Batoum was brilliant,
fantastic. He had two hustle plays that were two of the best players of
the season in that area where it was after a John Wall miss free throw.
I want to say he ripped it away, put it back up and
in. I think he took it away from bam Ante Baio and drew the
foul and then had a play. Or he got it to a Visa Zoobots
on an offensive rebound and just had no business getting to that basketball. I
no, it was to Moses Brown, excuse me for a big throw down,
but toombs, hustle and energy. But also he's been really good from
three recently. He's fourteen for his last thirty one from three over the last
five games, which we're not that surprised by. But he started off this
season so slow. Outside the seven for seven game, he went three or
seven from distance in this one, had eleven points, couple assists, a
block of steel. And I said this on Twitter but toomb is Clippers culture.
That's that's where it is. That's where it has to be. The
hustle and heart he plays with on both ends of the floor. And he
was a cast off by Charlotte. They gave up on him. Clippers brought
him into a training camp and he's been completely rejuvenated and cliber Nation loves the
guy. But Roco plays in a similar fashion to him and just hasn't been
getting much run all year. Let's hear from coach Lou post game after the
Clippers lose one fifteen to one ten in Miami. I thought Deep was pretty
good. I thought he got some matchups, say won it you know with
Jimmy on the post with you know, Luke and Redge has a tough matchup
for him, and he made some tough shots, like you said, guys
in between with good contests. He made some tough shots and so you know,
as he had, he's a tough cover for us down the posting,
down the block, and he did he did a good job of taking advantage
of it. It's like elsall together, his hands block take a wire.
He's pretty aggressive night that rectus and not as you have to ask him about
that, you know, just thought we you'll did a bad job with just
trying to get the ball in his hands to make some plays and you know,
be aggressive and try to get two on the ball the best we could.
I don't think we took advantage of that enough, but overall, just
him being aggressive, just trying to get you know, back into his rhythm.
And I thought tonight he did a pretty good job talking about Paul George
and there I'm guessing, I guess just overall, where did you feel like
this one? Uh? We we're almost frustrated by the game with a very
small margin. Where'd you feel like you guys go with the rope a little
bit here? I thought we had you know, three point lead. We
had some turnovers. I think we had ten in the second half. It
kind of you know, cost us and allowed him get out early in transition.
And you know, live ball turnovers really hurt us, you know,
and so turning the basketball over it puts a lot of pressure on your defense,
you know, when they haven't advantages three on two, two on ones,
and sometimes one on zero. You know, So we just gotta be
better with taking care of the basketball. Thought we had to ride in ten
tonight. You know, we didn't take advantage of the two on the ball
or the shows with Hero. We didn't do a good job of taking care
I mean, you know, taking advantage of that overall, you know shot
the ball pretty well and we just couldn't get those you know, key stops.
I thought, Bam, you know got that little pocket pass drop all
pass, you know, consistently y'all night, and so we needed to do
a better job of cleaning that up at disappoints curious in the season because you've
had a lot working against you. Guys are continuty on up. What do
you feel like he is do best right now? We talk a lot about
the frustration is and what it isn't up to your standard. Would you think
he is do best for now? I'm not gonna answer that almost answered the
wrong way, so I'm not gonna answer. So some frustration there, understandably
from the head coach. To question there from Andrew Griffe of the La Times,
Jimmy Butler scored the last eight points for Miami, and he was picking
on either Luke Nard or Reggie Jackson just finding the mismatch. I'm not even
gonna say they played terrible defense. He's just too big, too strong,
and was getting everything to go late, which is typically what he does.
But you heard from coach Loui. He said the same thing. Ten turnovers
in the second half, ten of their sixteen in the second half. Clippers
scored the ball well enough when they got shots up, when they weren't giving
it away. There were a lot of areas just like yesterday, where we
say, damn, they played pretty well. But how they lose this game?
Turnovers. It's been a thread, a theme, a narrative of storyline
all season long, and it's been killing them and just inconsistency within quarters and
within halves and between quarters because of those turnovers. I think throwing their offense
at a rhythm at times and just keeping them from getting up more shot opportunities.
And then when you're not hitting shots, your defense suffers because you don't
get set on the other end. Tough loss for the Clippers in this one,
then, admittedly I'm a little bit concerned. And that's a big game
now in Washington on Saturday, tip time at four pregame show right back here
at three, we'll take a quick time out. We'll talk with William Updyke
of Clips and Dip coming up next here on Clippers talk on the five upbreaking
taking What was the moment I came and gave them with all of my fas
and made a placement. How is the days? How mims the days?
Henny got it? Count it from distance, the odds on favorite to hoist
the Larry o'bright heavily can test it and it doesn't matter. On the home
of your LA Clippers. Last time that fine chains on my neck, it
was no smart on my BRep. Last time that I Clippers lose by five
and back to back nights. This time final score one fifteen, one ten
in favor of Miami. Welcome back into Clipper stock. I'm Adam Oslin's You're
on Amp five seventy LA Sports. We'll get back to your phone calls coming
up eight sixty six ninety eight seven two five seventy. You can also get
to me at follow Adam a get to this man at will Updyke on Twitter.
Does the clips in double dip right now tonight we call it clips and
dip during the week with myself, him and Charles Mockler will thanks for doing
this. Let's jump right into it. I gotta say it for the first
time. I do have a little bit of concern with this Clippers team because
of how tough the schedule is going to get. And at what point do
these turnover not just become you know, a bad run or or just them
having trouble or issue early in the issues early in the season, but you
know the pattern turns into bad habits, and that maybe this is who they
are, a team that turns the basketball over a lot, because that has
been coming back to haunt them. Yeah, I mean, you know,
it has been a part of this Clippers team, right like you know in
this iteration with Kwai and Paul George, they have been a higher turnover team.
But I agree things look so discombobulated right now. And you look at
a team, you know, like Miami who has gone through, you know,
their own struggles. I mean, they're sitting at ten in the East,
but they're at least able to put that part of the game together,
you know what I mean, even with their struggles from three, even with
the offense not clicking where they want it to be or being exactly what they've
wanted been, they can at least keep themselves from beating themselves. And I
think that that has got to be a huge, a huge question for all
Clippers fans uh and followers of the team because it shows right, it's not
just in the box score. Things look discombobulated out there, and it's on
both ends of the floor. I mean, this was just another game where
I felt like key execution in moments was just so lacking, and and and
continuity is definitely a factor, and I you know, we can only hope
that it will get better and they will click a little bit more as that
as that time on the court continues to build. But right now, man,
it is trouble. It is troublesome at best, and worries some uh
probably at most realistic. Yeah, I think that's fair. I mean the
pass over the head of Marcus Morris late in the fourth quarter from Paul George
who did try to kind of will them to victory late had a quick five
point it's had it to within three, did take a long three point or
some people had a problem with that shot. I mean, I've seen Paul
George make and take that shot. What did you think of it? Well,
I I have no problem with that shot. I said the same thing
last night, you know, like even the shots. You know, Paul
George and Koilon are post shot like what just over twenty hive percent from the
field. I didn't have a problem with any of the shots. I think
that, you know, the biggest problem he had with Paul George's performance,
Uh, and the first night of the back toback was just the shots that
he didn't take. He did take twenty in this one, and you know
it was still relatively efficient. That's not a shot relatively efficient. He was
very efficient. Uh that that's that's not a shot that I have a problem,
especially with having the night that he's having. I don't know, man,
Like you mentioned the turnovers, and I think the thing that we have
to talk about it and yes, this was the second night of a back
toback, but like just fatigue in general. You got three guys tied for
them most turnovers, accounting for twelve of the sixteen turnovers, and I'm looking
at Reggie Jackson with four of those he had. You know, he was
a second leading scorer for the Clippers. But man, some of those shifts
he was playing was absolutely brutal. He ended up playing thirty four minutes in
this one, but he had clocked nearly twenty minutes in that first half,
and you've just seen the fatigue sort of set in on some of these guys.
And it's so difficult because yes, you do have players, you know,
you know that you need to rest. You have Kauai, you have
John wall who's being restaurant. Back to that, We've had guys in and
out for illness. But man, they need to find a way to get
some of these other guys a little bit of rest so they can get some
sort of form back. Because Reggie, you know, had a solid game,
but I just think in watching him on the floor, especially on the
defensive end, the fatigue is getting to be insurmountable for some of these guys.
And like that was huge for the Heat tonight, right, Like they
scored at will in the paint, Like that was unbelievable. That's another thing
for the Clippers, right We're struggling to create those sort of easy looks,
whereas the Heat, I mean, they were waltzon into shots in the paint.
I think they outscored They outscored the Clippers by what it was, it
was fifty eight to thirty two to thirty two in the paint like that,
and you watched it and you felt it man like that, like they were
undeniable there and we just don't have that, like we we don't have that
thing to lean on offensively, And as good as this defense has been,
you can't stop everything, you know, well, and we've talked about this
a lot, but I think their defensive rating is a little bit inflated because
of the competition. And now they played back to back teams that were both
bottom five offensively and they've given up big points one fifteen and one sixteen.
Now the one sixteen also had five extra minutes in it yesterday in Orlando.
Okay, that's fair. But the Miami Heat, as you mentioned, we're
struggling. They've had a ton of injuries. We didn't even know if Jimmy
Butler was going to play in this one, but they were without Duncan Robinson
and some of their guys, and they just found away. Caleb Martin has
that sixteen point second quarter, He finished with just seventeen, and so he
regrets in the meat. Eventually, he went four for four from three in
that second quarter. But one of those guys that all that will be remembered
as a Clippers killer or somebody who certainly influenced the game going into the Miami
Heat's favor and this one eventually. But you know, you mentioned the fatigue
on this team, and I'm just wondering. We just haven't seen a lot
of wingstop this season, and I know part of the reason is because Kawhi
Leonard's not out there, and they want to do it when they can play
a little bit bigger where you have guys who are six six to six nine
in height, and Kawhi helps there. But Robert Covington plays just seven minutes
in the first half of this one and that's it. He doesn't get back
into the ball game, and you talk about guys who were slowing down later
on. I just thought it was a little bit of a head scratcher that
he didn't get back in, especially because he had a really good game yesterday
and I thought he looked active early on in this one. I know,
and it's really hard for me to not think about this, but you know,
you see those like critical errors from Robert coming to the moments like the
turnover. Uh, certainly that the board in the game earlier. I really
hope that that isn't something that's like weighing into his actual like minutes thing,
because I just at this point, it's it's like you said, head scratcher
is the perfect word. And also like in some of his utilizations, like
I don't get why we're still running so many guards out there once again,
like due to fatigue that short Reggie's like Reggie's first short break was due to
like run out another three guard lineup, which did end up getting a little
bit of juice going. But I just think on the defensive end, it's
too much to ask and I don't know, we like the depths of this
team is so lauded, right, it's it's what makes this team theoretically so
equipped to deal with the riggins of the season and a postseason. But I
mean, for me, there's just real questions about if you're not actually utilizing
that depth, then what is the point you know, like it does does
that mean that there is a move on the horizon? Because you know,
you and Hi and our co host Charles and Mockler, I think we're all
on the same page that Like, it's really really hard to imagine this team
needing any extra reinforcements giving everything that they have, But I do want to
say this. I do want to say this one thing because I know,
you know, you pointed out the quivers are down to have lost what four
of the last five they have lost four or five. But the reason I'm
more concerned than anything is they've had the easiest schedule so far this season,
or the second easiest schedule, and they're about to have the toughest schedule and
there are one game above five. The one thing I will say, the
one thing that we can say, though we have not gotten consecutive games of
Kauai, Paul George and Norman Powell right like, it's you know, it's
not all over yet. But man, you know the team has said vocally
publicly they're not where they want to be this far end of the season.
You know, we all know watching they're not where they need to be this
far end of the season. My one hope is that just with like a
little bit of continuity, they can kind of start to fill in these gaps.
And I do think it's possible they could click in and look very different
all of a sudden, just by having those guys available playing next to one
another. Norman Powell was playing really one of the best stretches of his career.
Right before he got hurt. The twenty two point fourth quarter might have
been the most oppressive quarter he's ever had, I'm sure for it was a
scoring high for him going up against Portland, and then he gets hurt,
and Terrence Mann just went first season hive nineteen and then he gets hurt at
the very end of the game in overtime. It's just been a brutal start
so far for the Clippers, and there have been some some moves that some
people are saying are confounding, just with how they've used Robert Covington. I
mean, a mere coffee gets a DNP in this one and the Clippers fall
by five in Miami to the Heat one fifteen to one ten. But look,
we trust and Steve baumb Or the front office, coach Low and this
roster and these players. They just got to get them all on the court
together once again. William Updyke, I'm sure we'll be together on Eclips and
Dip podcast very soon with Charles Mockler, my friend, thanks for doing Eclips
and Double Dip tonight here on Clippers Talk. Absolutely absolutely, and you didn't
mention the schedule. I just want to say one last thing. It cuts
both ways. Sometimes iron sharpens iron, my friend, But I'll leave you
with that fair point. Usually a tougher opponent brings out the best in the
Clippers certainly gonna get that. Monday Night against the Boston Celtics. They're gonna
have to be more battle tested, but they lose by five in Miami.
We'll close things out and give you a preview. What's gonna happen in DC
against the Wizards on Saturday next here on Clippers Talk on m five seventy l
A Sports count it from distance, the odds on favorite to hoist a Larry
o'bright heavily can test it and it doesn't matter. On the home of your
LA Clippers, Clippers lose by five. Stop me if you've heard this one
before this time. The final score was one fifteen, one ten, Miami
getting the victory in Miami Clippers one and two on this four game road trip,
it ends on Saturday in DC. More on that, but first we
got Mike in Los Angeles, US calling in here on Clippers Talk. Mike,
what's up, Hey, Adam, I'm I say I'm concerned. H
this just this just does not feel this season just does not feel right.
You know, we came in with championship expectations and it just almost seems like,
you know, there's this too cool for school attitude. It would like
be nice to see, you know, a little more urgency from the organization
as a whole. Well, what would that look like? How does that
manifest itself? What does that mean to you? Well, it means first
of all, cutting down on the turnovers. Sometimes sometimes you know, be
quick, don't hurry is the phrase. Sometimes turnovers come because they're playing a
little bit too hard. Yeah, maybe maybe, yep, what else,
Mike, No, it's just that, you know, also the Yeah,
obviously you know, we can't do anything about injuries, but it's just like,
I don't know, there's just something that feels very, very frustrating.
What can I say, Well, the lack of availability from guys and how
you know, Man has a great game, they lose, he gets hurt.
At the very end, it looked like, hopefully he's back on Saturday,
hopefully he's okay. In concussion protocols, that can lead to frustration.
Kawi being in and out not his fault, it's just the way it is
right now. But that can be frustrating. Here's the Clippers injury recap from
this season, courtesy if our friend Joey Lynn. Once again, Kawhi plays
two games, miss is the next twelve. Kawhi returns, Kenard gets hurt,
Kawhi and PG play two games, Paul George gets hurt, next game,
Kawhi gets hurt, Kawhi and PG miss next six games before they return.
Norm gets hurt, Kawhi, PG and Luke all return, Terrence Man
gets hurt. That's the type of year it's been so far. Now you
would hope of averages something that they have better luck the next you know,
sixty five percent of the season, you would hope and Kawhi could be back
on Saturday. I do think it was encouraging that Paul George played both games
on the back to back and played great in this one. Got up twenty
shots, just like I asked for. I had a fourteen point third quarter,
had seven points in the fourth quarter, tried to drag them back into
it when they were down eight late with a quick five oh run. Just
not enough. Clippers, too many turnovers, too many mistakes right now.
So if it's understandable, different guys are out there, but at some point
you gotta build up that chemistry, you gotta have that familiarity so the turnovers
stop. Look, you're likely gonna have twelve a game. Best teams in
the league only turning over twelve a game or teams that are the best in
that category. It's the unforced live ball turnovers that are really killing the Clippers.
Just sloppy play, bizarre turnovers that can be corrected. That's the other
side of it, easily. They just have to focus in and lock in
more because offensively they have been better when they're not turning the basketball over.
While they're only twenty eighth in offense and fifth defensively on the season, they
have been much better than twenty eighth recently. And I will say this one
more piece of optimism here before we get out. With Kawhi Leonard playing and
not even playing close to his best basketball are looking like himself much so far
this season. In seven games with Kawhi, they're five and two, and
with Kawhi, who is on a man's restriction, playing around twenty four per
game so far, but he did play thirty against Orlando the other night yesterday,
so hopefully that means the raison, that ceiling the amount of minutes he
can play, and he'll be able to go on Saturday against the Wizards,
because that's going to be a big one. Now, Clippers and Wizards tip
time Saturday at four. We'll have Clippers countdown for you, starting at three.
Wizards, by the way, they've lost seven of eight. Can't take
him lightly. Miami had lost three or four, Orlando had lost nine strads
and the Clippers could certainly score before we get out of here. I do
want to thank the Clippers organization, Noah Eagle, Brian Seaman, Ralph Lawlor,
Big Brother, Jake Warner, Katie Newton, Zacho Quality. I'm atam
Oslins. We will talk to you on Saturday. This has been Clippers Talked,
a postgame conversation about It's your LA Clippers with Adam Oslam. If you
like the show, subscribe to Clippers Talk on the iHeart Radio, wapp or
wherever you podcast. They have the best team. This team has those championship
ingredients. They have some of that DNA. We can see it. This
is Clippers Basketball. Join us next time on the LA