Time for a postgame. Look, it's your LA Clippers. This is Clippers
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Breaking down today's action with the pre and post game voice. If you're
LA Clippers, They're locking in every game every night. Adam Osled, the
Clippers led by twenty two in the first half, Kawhi Leonard left the ballgame
with backspasms and they go on to lose by eighteen to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here at Crypto dot Com Arena, it was a forty point turnaround in this
contest. Welcome in your postgame show. I'm Adam Oslin. Coming up.
We will have Clippers Talk on m five seventy LA Sports eight sixty six nine
eight seven two five seventy eight sixty six ninety seven two fives seventy if you'd
like to get on early. But first back to your radio voice of the
Clippers in Carlo Jimenez. Tonight was tough. Carlo. We built it as
one of the most important games of the season, considering seating implications and right
now for the Clippers, that three seed, that two seeds in, that
one seed are getting further and further away from them. In fact, they'll
have the Pelicans coming up, who are right behind them in the standings later
on this week. But this was a game where after Kawhi Leonard left,
the Clippers just seemed to let go of the rope. They did not They
were not able to sustain or battle back against any of the runs that the
Timberwolves made. It really was an odd thing to watch, because we almost
watched two games today. It felt like, Adam, you saw the Clippers
who started, who were up twenty two, who were knocking down threes,
who were not turning it over, and then the Clippers proceeded to go two
for the next fifteen for three. They proceeded to turn the ball over thirteen
times in two quarters combined, and watch their lead that they had worked so
hard to build just disintegrate right in front of their eyes because they didn't take
care of the basketball, because they didn't knock down those threes they were looking
for. I thought James Harden and Kwhi Leonard could have been a little more,
or shoud me James Harden and Paul George could have been a little more
aggressive in that first half. I think for the Clippers it just comes down
to trying to find a way to refocus. And I think after Kawhi Leonard
went into the locker room again. We said it on air multiple times,
this was an emotional game. I mean, this building felt tense for nearly
an hour. Everyone was staring towards that far locker room, even Russell Westbrook
going back, who was sitting on the bench to inquire about what's going on.
And you felt like that energy that was spent wondering about a guy who
wasn't coming back in the game, maybe is the reason the Clippers couldn't get
it back together. They were just caught up in something outside the lines.
Yeah, the team looked a little bit rattled out there. You mentioned the
nine turnovers in that third quarter. Minnesota goes fifteen of twenty two after making
their first thirteen shots in the fourth quarter. They completely took advantage of a
Clippers team that just looked to be reeling after Kawhi went to the locker room.
That the two run was that the span from the end of the second
quarter into the third. They took advantage of this Clippers team that was on
their heels. They win by eighteen when they were down by twenty two in
what was as close as you could get to a must win game for that
three seed. It's not impossible at this point, but the Clippers are gonna
need some help, obviously because now they no longer have that shot at the
tiebreaker against the Minnesota Timberwolves who win the season series. But I'm gonna go
back to something you mentioned with James Harden and Paul George. By my count,
they combined to attempt just six shots in the second half, and with
Kawhi Leonnn out at that point, they knew he'd be out for the remainder
of the contest. They simply, quite frankly, just have to be more
aggressive out there when their team needed them most, and tonight they just didn't
have it once again against this Timberwolves team. Yeah, we gave Paul George
a bunch of credit midway through that third quarter for having as many fruit throws
made as Minnesota and he didn't shoot another one. I mean, you just
gotta be more aggressive to the rim for those two guys. Is a little
bit of a learning lesson for them. I think Tyleru definitely sees what we
saw. I'm sure you will go to those guys and say, hey,
here are superstars. You guys need to take control. And Chicago's no walk
in the park. That's a team that's really good. Again. They will
be coming off a back to back, but they have been excellent. They've
beaten really good teams as of late. The Clippers lose a little bit of
their identity without Kawhi Leonard, and they look like a team lost today,
like a team running around the mall, maybe maybe not searching for their parents.
But they didn't have the rhythm, they didn't have the flow. They
did have the safety blanket that is Kawhi Leonard that he's been so stable,
such a huge part of this team. It's one of eighty two. You're
gonna have games like these, But when you consider what you said, the
circumstances, right, it would be totally different thing if we came out here
and Minnesota wiped the floor from front to start. But the Clippers had were
up twenty two, they're up twenty two in this game. Minnesota was one
in eighty three when leading by twenty two, and there when down by twenty
two in their last eighty four games, and they came back in this one.
And more concerning, we've seen a pattern of this recently. The Clippers
led up up twenty one in the fourth quarter against the Lakers, somehow lost
that game. Then they lost to Milwaukee where they were in complete control,
up by fifteen, and now up by twenty two against Minnesota. You can
understand to a point the shock, the concern with Kawhi Leonard by his teammates
and how that can affect the ballgame. But still you had a twenty two
point lead. You had a cushion where you just have to find a way
to win this ballgame against a team that has had their number all season long.
And they win the season series once again three games to one. But
as Carlo mentioned, the best part about the NBA, you got to pick
yourself back up as you got games coming up Thursday and Friday. They are
on a back to back starting in Chicago. Tip time for that one is
at five, We'll have pregame at four, and they're in New Orleans against
the Pelicans, who are right behind them in the standings. After the Clippers
were on the wrong side of a forty point turnaround, led by twenty two,
lose by eighteen here at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Carlo, my
friend, great call. As always, We'll talk to you in Shytown on
Thursday. So I'm glad we play another one, Adam, let's call,
let's call it. You're a bounce back. Clippers are gonna need it.
I'm gonna need it. Get the taste of this one out of your mouth,
and hey, maybe fill it up with a Chick fil a sandwich because
there was one win there by this Clippers. I want to say to that
Anthony Edwards, because you had thirty seven, but appreciate the gesture. Clippers
fall one eighty to one hundred two. The Minnesota Timberwolves were postgame next right
here on Your Clippers Locker Room Show on the Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network,
the LA Clippers continue their hunt for a Lario Bee. They still want to
get that Lario b don't miss a moment all season long. This is the
LA Clippers Audio Network discouraging frustrating loss. And that's really just the tip of
the iceberger. I'm sure with Clipper Nation and how they want to describe this
one. The Clippers were up by one. They go on to lose by
eighteen here at home at Crypto to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game where they
lost Kawhi Leonard after the first quarter. He left with back spasms, and
by left, I mean it looks like he left the arena because he was
so uncomfortable he couldn't sit down. We're monitoring that situation, but this was
a big one. Can't build as that. Can't hype it up as that
and then try to downplay it because the Clippers lost. Not gonna be disingenuous.
Here they lose by eighteen in a game they were up by twenty two.
Win with Paul George and James Harden still out there with this team,
with a team that I felt like fought harder without Kawhi and Paul George on
Sunday with what they had. Then what I saw from this Clippers team over
the last twenty eight minutes or sold this ball game. Just a really brutal
loss for the Pippers, who ended up shooting forty eight percent from the field
to fifty one percent for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and after a hot start from
three, Clippers finished just eleven of thirty after I believe they started nine of
eleven or eight of eleven from the outside and then would go one for their
next eleven from three. Not great, Bob. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves
would hit shot after shot. After taking the lead by six heading into the
fourth quarter, they hit their first thirteen shots of the fourth Unbelievably, they
ended up going fifteen of twenty two in the final period. They outscored the
Clippers by twelve in the fourth quarter thanks to thirty seven from aunt Anthony Edwards,
who absolutely outplayed both Paul George and James Harden in this one. Mike
Conley outplayed both those guys. He had twenty three to pg's twenty two.
Paul George attempted just three shots in the second half, same with James Harden.
They combined to attempt six shots in the second half of the ball game
where Kawhi Leonard was not available after the first quarter. This team is looking
and searching for answers right now. Hopefully they find them in Chicago, where
they will be on Thursday on the front end of a back to back.
Friday in New Orleans against a team now chasing them for that four spot.
We'll update you on the standings coming up. Clippers fall after being up twenty
two one eighteen to one hundred here at Crypto to the Minnesota Timberwolves. And
you're listening to Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network every Clipper game all season, law
they didn't stop playing hard. You're listening to the LA Clippers Audio Network streaming
on the iHeartRadio app. Here we get the sad postgame music for you tonight
after the Clippers relinquished a twenty two point lead and lost by eighteen Here at
Crypto to the Minnesota Timberwolves. We're feeling pretty secure as the top three seed
right now. And meanwhile the Clippers, they got questions, they got issues,
They have problems. Kawhi Leonard, he left with back spasms after the
first quarter. Tried to give it a go, apparently he was feeling them
during pregame, tried to play through it after the first twelve minutes, went
to the locker room. Eventually was seen in street clothes leaving the building as
he couldn't even sit down, couldn't get comfortable. Clibernation, We'll get through
it together as we always do, and that means we got Clippers talk coming
up on a five to seventy LA Sports will take all your phone calls.
We'll commiserate on Clippers Therapy tonight eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy
eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy Clippers next ball game coming up
in Chicago, front end of a back to back. They'll be taking on
the Bulls on Thursday, Pelicans on Friday. Tip time on Thursdays at five,
we'll have pregame at four outside of Los Angeles. We are leaving you
until then, but coming up next year on in five seventy LA Sports,
we have Clippers Talk. This has been LA Clippers basketball really good on a
multitude of levels. Don't miss a moment all season long on their official home.
Join us next time on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Hello Clippers fans,
if you're gonna go for it, if that's what you want to do,
you do welcome the Clippers Talk, your first chance to react to all
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Clippers Talk on iHeartRadio or wherever you podcast on Henry right now your host on
your home for the Clippers. They were in attack mode. Adam Ousley.
Well, the Clippers just supplied the red meat for the naysayers after the Timberwolves
had a forty point turnaround on them forty four points at one point, the
Clippers were up by twenty two in the first half. They lose this ballgame
tonight, one eighteen to one hundred. Here at Crypto dot Com Arena,
welcome in two Clippers talk a Madam Moslin live from Crypto postgame. We'll be
taking your phone calls. We're gonna hear from the head coach in Sarron lou
Will Updike will still join. Even though the Clippers lost this pivotal contest to
the Minnesota Timberwolves and hopefully didn't lose Kawhi Leonard for an extended period of time.
We'll update you on that. But I'm sure you've heard by now left
the ballgame with backspasms. Didn't play after the first quarter as Kawhi left in
street close apparently couldn't sit down, was so uncomfortable, So maybe going home
to lay down brutal In a game that I certainly hyped up as one of
the biggest of the season, it was standings wise, If you want to
be a top three seed. They pretty much had to win this game,
considering how tough their schedule is, considering where teams land right now in front
of them in the standing. I'll update you on those coming up. But
the most disappointing thing to me in this game is the fact that, yes,
I understand how it can be deflating and distracting that Kawhi Leonard is in
the locker room. You're superstar, You're superman, the guy who was looking
like the best player on the floor in the first quarter, even though I
don't think he took a shot the first five minutes or so, But then
he leaves, goes to the locker room, and we were basically just all
on limbo. It was shrouded in uncertainty for about a half hour, not
knowing about Kawhi, seeing players and other luminaries go back there to check on
him, and then we found out right before the third quarter started it was
backspasms. Now, that could be a positive to take away from this ball
game, if it's nothing more serious than that. We don't know the full
extent of it. I will say this, speaking from experience and being lucky
enough to be on the Clippers radio for seven or eight years now that in
twenty twenty one, I remember a pre game against the Boston Celtics where Kawhi
grabbed his lower back. I was watching him warm up. He headed back
to the locker room right afterwards. He was out for a game with BACKSPATSMS
missed that game against Boston, return the very next game. Don't know if
that's analogous to what this situation is, but we are obviously hoping for the
best and a speedy recovery. But what a speedy turnaround by the Timberwolves down
by twenty two to then have it to sixty three fifty five Clippers at the
half. My disappointment, though, mostly stems from the performances or lack thereof,
from Paul George and James Harden picking things up continuing to lead without Kawhi
Leonard. I just don't understand how both those guys in this game could end
up shooting together collectively just six shots total in the second half. You're reeling,
They're bleeding points defensively, Minnesota, after Kawhi went out, found their
offense, got the Clippers in rotation, started knocking down threes. Mike Conley
was scorching hot, Nikhil Alexander Walker. He ended up finishing with twenty eight
off the bench and went five of six from three. Mike Conley Jr.
Well known notorious Clipper killer, five of eight from three. He had twenty
three points, and at one point in the fourth quarter, the two Wolves
had hit thirteen straight shots. I mean, already down. You have to
get stops to get back into it. Clippers couldn't. They just got dissected
and destroyed on the defensive end. Some of it hot shooting, okay,
some of it really bad defense. After giving up zero fast break points to
the Timberwolves last time out in that eighty nine to eighty eight victory, which
I did try to caution people and say, wasn't that repeatable? The way
they won that ball game? It was a great win in Minnesota just about
a week ago. But some of that stuff you weren't able to reproduce.
Very likely they weren't, like only giving up well zero fast break points in
that game, because today they gave up twenty seven. Why because they started
turning the ball over and over and over again. They had nine of them
in the third quarter alone. They had just six of the half, and
they had nine turnovers in the third quarter, they just melted. The lead
was cut into quickly because the Clippers were losing the possession battle at a dramatic
rate. They couldn't get into their offense and they couldn't stop Minnesota's offense on
the other end, and that happens, We're giving up a lot of easy
buckets in transition. We know they're not a good transition team. We know
how imperative it is for them to take care of the basketball. They couldn't
do it. And for the fourth game against Minnesota this season, Paul George
and James Harden weren't close to good enough coming into this one. Paul George
was shooting twenty nine percent from the field the first three games against Minnesota,
twenty eight percent from three, and James Harden was shooting twenty four percent from
the field in three games against Minnesota and twenty one percent from three in this
one. It's not so much the lack of efficiency, it's the lack of
aggression. Aggressiveness they combine to attempt twenty one shots. I know Paul George
got to the free throw line, but we're talking about four free throws attempted
in the second half. He attempted more free throws on the second half than
shots taken, only three. That's just an excusable not good enough. Both
of them have to be better. And yeah, these are red flags and
this is a bad matchup for them even without Carl Anthony Towns for them tonight.
By the way, who is this back to the drawing board, I
don't know. They're seven to eight last fifteen games since the Grammy road trip,
and they haven't looked like them dominant their dominant selves in a long time.
Paul George hasn't looked right in a long time, not at a superstar
a lie level at least where he needs to be for this team to get
to the Promised Land period. That's what it is, that's what he's here
for. When you see him get locked up by Anthony Edwards who took the
ball away and went the other way in the second half for a layup,
it was just brutal. It was hard to watch. It was like watching
your dad get beat up or something like. On that possession. Paul George
did look old or maybe gassed or maybe still hurt. Did not like that.
A forty point turnaround Clippers led by twenty two. They lose by eighteen.
Let's start things off here on Clippers talk with Javier and the hober Heights.
Why because he called in probably in the third quarter, Javier, what's
up here? On Clippers? Stop with that? Amasen, what's up Adam?
Again? Thank you for taking my call. Anthony Edwards is probably right.
I got stuck her in when they won or whatever was the twenty eight
out of thirty five games. But you know, I think he's right.
We're an old team. I mean we looked old Todd and you mentioned it
earlier. I mean in the third quarter at him. They had nine turnovers,
like you said, and he had four field goals and m four in
the third quarter. I mean, I underscored just fifteen points in twelve minutes.
They did most of their scoring at the free throw line. Unbelievable.
And it just and like you said earlier, Government you said it, or
or Carlo he mentioned that, he goes, yeah, games, Harden and
pults have to take control. You have to take more shots. He didn't
do that. I mean, do you just imagine something that just happens in
the playoffs. It's like it's like they like, come on, wake up,
like you said, you said, refocus their profession with Adam, because
Tyl need to tell them. Come on, guys, CoA, why is
not coming back? Refocus? So then maybe we can blame Tyler then,
So I mean somebody got taken to blame. I mean, this is a
big game, Adam. Like you said, Look, I know is Coach
Lou has been giving the message for quite some time now, and guys either
aren't receiving it or aren't able to execute the game plan. He's been saying
everything that needs to be said. I think it's on the players. It's
on PG, It's on Harden tonight. They're the guys out there playing.
They're the ones that know Kawhi's out. We have to take over at least
one of them does instead both just melt it down one last one. You're
Adam, real quick, right? Paul George five turnovers games hardin four almost
ten turnovers because those two guys. I mean, I told you just a
couple of weeks ago, Paul George is going to be thirty four if he
wants an extension. I told you, Adam, do not hum an extension.
James Harden is going to be a free agent. He's going to be
thirty six. I don't think so. I mean, I mean, just
keep Kawi and just rebuilding it at them. I mean it just to that
point right now. I was like, I don't know. I mean,
here's the problem. Here's the problem. Rebuild with what. They don't have
the assets. They don't have the first round picks. They have their twenty
thirty right now, that's about it. They don't have the ability. Look,
when you have guys in house, you can resign them, you can
go above the cap, you can give out those extensions, pay to the
luxury tax, go over the second apron And I appreciate the phone call,
Hobber, but the Clippers are kind of all in with this crew and considering
how well they were playing, when at one point they were twenty six and
five over a thirty one game stretch and looking by far like the best team
in the league, it's shocking to see the turnaround and the downward spiral.
Thinks have been in post Grammy road trip. I tried to cast from people.
Then they went six and one. Everybody was saying, ah, we're
the best team, this is it. Who can beat us? It was
still February, maybe late January. You can't overreact either way. And now
it's March and there's eighteen games left till the playoffs and they have to find
themselves and do so through adversity. It looks like coach lu said postgame,
Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with back issues the last couple of games. Tried
to play through it. So we'll see if he's available to travel with them
these next couple of games. Well, if he can get on a plane
and have his back lock up like that, I don't know. Looking for
answers eight six, six nine, eight seven two five seventy quick time out
here after the Clippers we're up by twenty two and had a forty point turnaround
happen on them. They lose one to eighteen to one hundred here at home
at Crypto to the Minnesota Timberwolves. More Clippers sock next right here on the
Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network in the M five seventy LA Sports. They want
to bring a banner with them to the into it down. More LA Clippers
Basketball on the LA Clippers Audio Network. Clippers lost Kawhi Leonard after the first
quarter and they lose a twenty two point lead and lose a ballgame by eighteen.
Here at crypto final score one to eighteen, one hundred in favor of
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Welcome back into Clippers stock. I'm out a moslind Oh.
We have a moment. Let's pause ten seconds for station identification. Here
on the M five seventy LA Sports. This is LA Clippers Basketball AM five
to seventy KLAC loss ALESNSRHD two Los Angeles and iHeartRadio station. There was a
twenty to two run at one point by the Timberwolves, extending from the end
of the second quarter and into the third quarter. I believe it was some
of these things and these comebacks that teams are having on them, because this
is not the first in the last two weeks. Lakers game you're up twenty
one, and the fourth that cannot happen. The Bucks game, you're up
on the road, in control by fifteen. They lost that. Now,
I think it's time to say, and I think it's fair to say,
this is a trend, this is a pattern. It's happened three times in
the last week and a half, two weeks, they've relinquished big leads.
It happens in this league with hot three point shooting, but twenty two at
home in a game of this magnitude. Yeah, they lost Kawhi Leonard.
I'm sure guys were a little bit rattled and thinking about Kawhi, But you
have to refocus, you have to Paul George and James Harden are still out
there. But some would say not doing enough, not active enough. Six
total shots taken by those two guys in the second half when Clipper's defense wasn't
doing much their offense, they had to figure something out on that end,
and you would think one of those two stars could get it going. But
for the fourth game this season against Minnesota, they could not. Let's go
back out to the phone lines, man Jose and Downey Jose, you're on
Clipper staff with out of manslam. What's up? What's upbout him? I
gotta say, like you said, the trend of losing big games like this,
not showing up for big games like this, having a twenty point lead
and I'll being to hold it. I mean, even if you win by
like five, four, whatever it is, at least being able to hold
it. It's not looking like a championship team. I'll tell you that much,
right, now, man, it sucks, because that's why you make
the Harden trade. That's why you have Harden and Paul George on the court.
When Kawhi goes out or somebody goes out. It's just to be totally
honest. Been around for twenty six, twenty seven years, and this is
the most disappointing I've been on the team this year because all the ups and
downs, then they were at the highest of highs and now it feels like
the lowest of lows right now. That's where this Clippers team is at when
you go through a two month stretch where you have the best record in the
league, and not just that you're dominating teams offensive elite defense certainly good enough.
And now over their last sixteen games since the Grammy road trip, make
it fifteen, where they are seven and eight, they have a defensive rating
of twenty fifth twenty fifth an offensive rating of sixteen. So they're not the
same ball club right now. And I've at least been trying to tell people
this for some time post Grammy road trip, that they haven't looked the same,
that they are playing bad basketball. Is it just a blip on the
radar? Can they pull out out of this. Yeah, there's eighteen games
left, but now we don't know the status of Kawhi moving forward, if
he'll be on the road trip. And Paul George and James Harden just were
not good enough tonight, weren't good enough in any of these games against Minnesota
Timberwolf. So I appreciate the phone call, Jose. Understand where you're coming
from, Clibernation entering a world of pain a little bit tonight, Mike in
La Mike, you're on clipper Stock without Amasen. Hey, Adam, I
I don't know if I can add to all the stuff that's been said so
far. I mean, this is just gut wrenching. I mean, this
team needs to just look at look themselves in the mirror. And you know,
I mean after tonight, there are only four games out of the play
in tournament. You know, forget about you know, trying to get a
top three seed. You know, if they keep playing like this, they
could easily wind up in the playing tournament. It's it's all possible right now,
with how close things are in the West, I think it's still unlikely
for that to happen, considering the team behind them is four games behind,
them in the seventh spot. The Clippers are in the fourth spot. That
first team in the play in that's in the seventh spot, that's the Sacramento
Kings. And there are four games behind the Clippers, more games, a
lot to make up in less than twenty games. If it is like this
much more easily than get picked, do you expect them to continue to be
up twenty two and then have a forty four point turnaround happen on them?
Though? I know, I know it's they've blown some leaves lately, but
this was extreme. This is brutal. This was I mean, they to
these next two games, this next back to back against Chicago and the New
Orleans crucial, both of the must win games, especially that New Orleans win.
New Orleans right behind them by just two games. They're seven and three
their last ten, Mike, thank you for the phone call. Eight sixty
six nine seven two five seventy eight sixty six nine seven two five to seventy.
Clippers also now just three and seven against the top three teams in front
of them in the Western Conference standings. That's something that has been concerning to
me for some time. Some of those games they didn't have Kawhi, but
they've never looked quite right against Minnesota, and even when they won eighty nine
to eighty eight eight, I saw some issues there. I didn't think that
was repeatable. The way they won that game. They got aut rebounded by
fourteen. Tonight, Minnesota ended up getting up twenty three more shots than the
Clippers, which is way too much to overcome. There's just no way.
It's one thing where they had in the first quarter seven offensive rebounds, but
the difference was they had six turnovers, so it equaled. It leveled things
out a little bit, the fact that the Clippers were taking care of the
basketball even though Minnesota was getting those extra possessions and offensive rebounds. But once
the Clippers gave up the basketball nine in the third quarter, that was it.
You can't have both happen against you with getting out rebounded like that to
that extent, and then also end up with nineteen turnovers to just eleven for
the Minnesota Timberwolves, so they had four turnovers in the last three quarters.
Al Yun and Lang castor Alun? What's up here on clipperstock? Yes,
thank you for taking my calls. Yeah, all I want to say today
I think Clippers maybe made a coach man because of what happened. It keeps
happening all the time. When Slippers are down by twenty, then very good.
All the time. With Slippers are all by ten by twenty, they're
always relaxed. I think that is the coaching program. Yeah, they've let
go of big leads recently. I don't agree getting rid of coach Lou is
the solution. I think he's the guy that can get them out of this.
Actually, when they have faced diversity, when they have been down oh
two and multiple playoffs series back in twenty twenty one, Coach Lou was steady.
He's their leader, and they dug themselves out of that hole. They're
gonna have to do this right now because the Pelicans are coming. There's blood
in the water and Phoenix, by the way, they just got Devin Booker
back again. They've been beat up, but they're in the six spot.
There are three and a half games behind the Clippers. They're gonna make a
surge and I think the Clippers still have two games left against them, so
it's all on the table right now. But a top three seed, the
door may have shut on that tonight because now they don't have the tiebreaker against
Minnesota, and they're down in the series against Denver two games to one.
They lost the series against OKC two games to one. So against the lead
competition, the Clippers, they haven't met the challenge, not nearly enough.
Uh, let's go David from Santa Monica leaving the ball game and he dropped
Joe and burbank Joe, what's up here on Clippers? Out with that?
Am? Also? Hi had him. Just a quick thing that I noticed
these last few games on defense compared to like earlier on in the season,
is we're just not reading the offensive plays fast enough and we keep like reacting
just a step too slow to things. And I'm not sure if that's just
tired legs or like guys are just not taking pride in their defense. But
like I saw a few plays today where we could have probably stopped the ball,
but we just reacted like one second too late and that was it.
And I don't know if they're just trying to save energy, but the whole
thing is like you're gonna make mistakes on offense and then you're not defending,
You're gonna have to expend even more energy trying to come back down, So
you're kind of defeating the whole purpose of like being a little lazy on defense.
So yeah, that's what's my thoughts. No, I think that's a
salient point, as VTV would say, Joe, It's something I've talked about
for a long time here. Are they building good habits or bad habits?
Feels like bad habits certainly of late, and even when they were winning games,
Kawhi criticized them for relying too much on talent instead of execution, getting
by too much on talent instead of execution. They're not sound game to game
where you don't know where you're gonna get. With the Clippers team, very
often you don't know possession to possession, cord to corner. That's what it
has been like with this team. Adam and Staten Island. Adam, what's
up? You're on Clipper sock? What's going on? First time caller?
I think it's an appropriate time for me to call. I just wanted to
add some things. I'm not too worried about the backspasms that Kawhi has.
It didn't seem too serious that he was walking on his own and he did.
He wasn't grimacing as much but it's disappointing to see how when we're down,
when we're down like about ten points, you don't see tylu on the
sideline trying to hype his team up, screaming or you know, doing something
to get some energy in the team. I understand it's on the players at
some time, at some Yeah, go ahead, I'm sorry. I mean,
Adam I watch him often. I've seen plenty of that. I saw
him get ejected from a game a couple of weeks ago. Actually, i've
seen it. Yeah, you're right. I don't want to read too much
into the body language or how much a guy is screaming sometimes. I mean
Phil Jackson rarely ever did that stuff. He played for him. He's cut
from the same cloth like, so when he does get angry, it holds
more weight. I think he's out a sense of emergency. I don't know
what it's going to take for Paul George to get at some of that.
And James Harden as well, who may just have dead legs at this point
because he's played so many minutes over the last couple of months, and that
is a concern. But continue Adham. Yeah, so that's that was My
next point is with Paul George. I don't know what it takes for him
to get going when he's not even he wasn't having that much of an off
night. I'm saying maybe in the first half he was what was he like,
one of three from three, and then he hit another two another two
threes in the second half, and half of his points came from the free
throw line. That should get him going those points at the free throw line.
We saw him last month or a couple of weeks ago, when he
was missing those open threes. He wasn't getting to the free throw line,
and that caused him to miss a lot of open shots. Now he's getting
to the free throw line, but he's still not putting up those twenty five
to twenty seven points that we need from him, especially when Kawhi is not
on the court. No, I completely agree on that point. Thank you
for the phone call, Adam. Paul George started off this game with a
three over Kyle Anderson. Then he had that spin move on nas Reed,
who the Clippers were hunting. At one point where he dunked, he tried
to throw it down on go Bear. Did he just empty the tank?
Does he not have the gas right? Now because dealing with the growing injury
and then the knee injury. Is his win not there, because I don't
know what to attribute the passiveness we saw in the second half to where he
only attempted three shots. That's just inexcusable in a game like this, too
important, far too important of a ball game for Paul George to go quiet
late without Kawhi, Leonard Paul, and Rancho Cucamungo. Before we break here,
Paul, what's up here on Clippers South? With that? I'm also,
yeah, well, you've covered a lot of good stuff. I just
wonder maybe you know, all year long, the experts have been saying,
this is a really deep team. This is a really deep team. Okay,
so Westbrook is out. I don't know they look deep on Sunday against
Milwaukee, did they not without Kawhi and Paul George? Yeah? I mean,
yes, they have James Harden. But are they missing over the course
of the whole season? Are they missing with Niko Batoum and Robert Covington thwart
twenty You know these runs that these they lose the lead, It's just how
fast they lose the lead. That's just what blows me away. I mean
it's because I think it's because of those bad habits that are built up where
they choose when they want to engage and flip the switch. Maybe that win
over the Nets where they had a twenty two to oero run to finish that
ballgame here at Crypto, they came back miraculously. Maybe it developed a bad
habit where they thought, oh, we can pick and choose when we want
to play hard. But that's not what championship teams do. Right forty eight
minutes, I wasn't even I was nervo. I told my wife when they
were up by twenty two. I said, I'm not that I'm not comfortable.
That's pretty bad when you know I've been watching him for so long.
Yeah, Paul call in on Thursday. I like you, So we'll take
a quick time out here on Clippers stock after they let go of a twenty
two point lead. Kawhi doesn't play in the final three quarters. He leaves
this one with back spasms, and the Clippers lose by eighteen to the Minnesota
Timberwolves. And what was as close as you can get to a must win
game for seeding purposes if you want to be a top three seed this season,
Clippers lose one eighteen to one hundred to the Wolves. More Clippers stock
next year on the M five seventy LA Sports. They want to bring a
banner with them to the into it dull more LA Clippers Basketball on the LA
Clippers Audio Network. It was a forty point turnaround on your Los Angeles Clippers,
who led by twenty two and lose by eighteen. Here at home at
Crypto dot Com Arena to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Welcome back in This is Clipper
stock. I'm in a maslet coming up. We'll get back to a few
phone calls, but before that. On the Super Secret Guest Hotline, it's
Will Updyke of Clips and dip Fame. I'm glad we have Will on tonight
because he normally doesn't come on during losses, so I know he's already annoyed.
He's already gonna be hot. Will We got what a certain show likes
to call five good minutes here with you. Give it to me. What's
your biggest gripe coming out of this? Just brutal, nightmarish type of loss
by the Clippers. The way this team continually chooses to take their foot off
the gas. I realized that we didn't have Kawhi Leonard after the first quarter.
But there's just no excuses for this. They just defensively did not have
the effort there, They did not have the speed and I thought they were
getting blocked around the room because they just looked a step slow in the lane,
Like I don't understand why they can't sustain this sort of effort. And
Kawhi going down, I feel like makes it less of an excuse because you
know you have to do more, you know you have to step up.
Look, and having a near forty point performance is even acceptible to me.
That's fine. What's less acceptable is Mike Conley going off for twenty three points
and to Keith Alexander Walker coming off the bench for damn near thirty Where I
mean, where was Paul George late in this game? Nine second half points?
It's ridiculous, man, these guys, I just I don't know what
to do. I keep thinking every single time that we have one of these
terrible like take our foot off the gas losses, like oh, this is
the wake up call, It's really coming now. Now they're gonna get it.
Now, they're gonna be on the same page this. I mean,
this surely has to make them snap into gear, and it just doesn't.
And if Kawhi Leonard misses any of this back to back or part of this
four and six or whatever it is, I don't even know how much trust
they have in these guys being able to pull it together. It feels like
you mentioned the wake up call there and this team just hit the trip to
fam snoozel arm or something. It's you're up fifty seven to thirty five with
five thirteen left in that second quarter, and somehow at the half it's only
an eight point lead. It's just like the Lakers game. You know,
they gave it up within a couple of minutes early in that fourth quarter.
A twenty one point lead was down to I think nine by the time Kawhi
Leonard came back in. I just it's confounding. It is. It is
honestly as much of a head scratcher as you can have for a team that
has had too many of these recently. And I feel the same way of
regarding Paul George and James Harden in this one. It's not even so much
the points. It's tied together, but they weren't even taking shots. They
combined for six shots in the second half. Will how it makes no sense.
Norm Powell didn't even get in double ditch when he was super hot.
Zoo, who I thought looked really good early, didn't get opportunities. And
this is like a continual thing. I feel like offensively for this team.
I know, look, Charles and I did a live stream. Ty Lou
was catching a lot of strays. I don't think it's Tyleru's fault that these
guys can't execute an offensive game plan. They continuously look for the hardest shot
on the floor, waste so much time on the clock, and then will
for suboptimal shots. And I think that that's one of those things that makes
it really tiring on yourself. Why not throw the ball, download a Zoo,
why not get try to get him going? Why not get Norm Powell
some shots? Look, the three point shooting that we have in that for
his quarter was not going to be sustainable for an entire forty eight minutes.
It's not sustainable for an entire game. I get that, But if you
watch that first quarter, the motion that they had, the ball movement,
they were getting easier looks, and I just did not see that halpen in
the second half. Yeah, they had seven assists on their eleven makes in
that first quarter, and you let a team go on on twenty to two
run, Like, where is the run stopper? When are we going to
see that? Someone has to step up in those moments, take the bull
by the horns and say no, this is not happening tonight. But instead,
I don't know, is this team now, you know, in that
position because of all the comebacks over the last couple of weeks where they are
in that afraid to fail mode where they feel like, oh, oh,
here we go again. The comeback is on and there's nothing we can do
about it. The floodgates have opened and we have nothing left in the tank.
Because that's what it looked like throughout the second half and really the end
of the second quarter on. I mean, that's the way they're playing.
I mean, I said take the foot off the gas, which I think
is true. But they just they visibly are tensing up in these situations.
And maybe you're right. Maybe it's because it's become a repeated thing and like
they you know, they're overthinking it, they get too into their heads about
it. But like, look, man, this would be a very different
story if you know, this turned into a possession battle and it was a
back and forth game. I could understand that down your best player. I
mean, certainly the Wolves are missing a major rotation player, but this is
a good team, Like it makes sense that they could overcome a twenty point
deficit and this could be a tight game. It's a forty point turnaround,
though, I mean like a quarter and a third essentially that you I mean
that you got beat by is completely unacceptable and unfathomable for a team that considers
itself a contender. And right now, I mean in this game, you
know, like we're now what three games back, I believe of the Timberwolves,
it's looking more and more inevitable that Denver is going to take that top
spot. And I mean, how long does this postseason go? If if
we get out of the first round and then you're staring just staring Denver in
the face. Yeah, you know, we've been planning out a roadmapping.
Oh how can the Clippers get to the Western Conference finals? What's the path
of least resistance? Right now, they should be worried about getting out of
the first round and who that opponent could be and where they might end up
in a situation where they're the road team, they could end up the five
seat again, just like last season. They could be going to Phoenix,
they could be going to New Orleans if they don't figure it out quickly.
Here, there has to be a sense of urgency and I think it just
comes down to mental toughness right now. And this Clippers team, I don't
know if it's scar tissue from the comebacks we've seen over the last couple of
weeks for why tonight happened in the way in the manner it did, but
there are some wounds on this team where it just seems like psychologically they're not
able to snap out of some of these funks in time to rescue a ball
game, and that is just frustrating to watch. Yeah, and look,
they have an extremely difficult schedule coming up. We know how hard March is
going to be. But for me, the game I'm watching like the game
I have circled on my calendar to see if this is finally the wake up
call? Is that Pelicans game, Because you have a team that has come
out of the All Star Break as one of the hottest teams in the NBA,
a team that has had your number all year? How are you going
to respond? How are you going to how are you going to take on
that challenge and win or lose. It's going to be about what this team
looks like in that matchup, and that's what they should be focused on.
I'm not saying, you know, you can't fall asleep at the Wheel in
Chicago or anything, but like that needs to be the statement game. It's
time to make a statement again, which they haven't done since the Grammy Trip.
Yeah, it's been since that Boston game early the Grammy Trip, going
six and one. It was great. Everybody celebrated it. I try to
tell people, clear jets, pump your breaks a little bit. It's still
late January, early February, and now a month later or so, looks
like a completely different ball club with all kinds of issues going on right now.
Just whack them all problems where you think you fix one another arises He
is well Updyke from Clips and Dip. We'll have a big YouTube for you,
of course tomorrow previewing the upcoming road trip. Will thanks for doing this
tonight a little Clips and Double Dip here on Clipper stock, my friend absolutely,
thanks for having me. Let's hope this is the wakeup call people.
I like it. I like the positivity from will we'll come back, We'll
close things out. Clippers have a forty point turnaround happen against them, up
twenty two to down eighteen and losing by eighteen one eighteen to one hundred was
the final. Here at Crypto dot com arena, they fall to the Minnesota
Timberwolves. And this is Clippers stock. Here aready have five to seventy LA
Sports. They want to bring a banner with them to the into it dull
more LA Clippers Basketball on the LA Clippers Audio Network Call Blue Call Kit.
Clippers are in a tail spin seven and eight since the Grammy road trip,
and they just had was a forty four point turnaround on them and at forty
as they would lose one eighteen to one hundred. And here at Crypto dot
com Arena, welcome back into Clippers Talk. I met a Moslin quickly before
we get out of here. Thirty seconds here Rick in La. Rick here
on clipperstock, Hey, thanks for taking my call. I'm pretty tired of
beat up for listening to all this, but just a quick, quick commic
quick question for you. When a team of talented ballplayer loses twenty point leads
as fast as they do, how is that not on the coach? I
mean, the coach is supposed to time the timeout. What do you think
you could deal with? You don't think he called timeouts? Rick, You
don't think he called timeouts? You don't think he called time Tell me at
the end of the second quarter, when we went from twenty one points ahead
to twelve, how long did it take him to call time out? How
long did that lead lead to a vutbraad for But I'm in the car.
Sometimes players got to figure it out on the court. This is Is this
not an older veteran team? Do they not have James hard and Paul George?
They can't figure it out twenty point leads. I'm looking at those guys
before I'm looking at coach lou I'm sorry, I'm looking at the guys out
there on the floor. Well, sure, I mean, obviously the Clippers
don't need Paul George standing out there and dribbling through his legs for twenty seconds
on the twenty four second clock. At this point, you would think he
would understand he's fooling nobody. I get that. But but but a coach's
responsibilities change up the offense, change up the defensive looks, go small,
make a substitution, do something your team is stranding is suffering out there.
Clearly they can't do it on their own, and that's what coaching. Coaching
is for. And I haven't seen he had the same guys out there minus
Kawhi Leonard that got them the lead. Like what changed all of a sudden.
You're gonna have an overall with the offense that worked, with the defense
that worked it. I don't know, Rick. I appreciate the phone.
Phone. We can talk more about it on Thursday or Friday, but I
want to get to Mark and Hunts and Beach before we get out of here.
Mark quickly. Yeah, here's the thing. I kind of agree with
the last caller. Yeah, the players have to execute. But bottom line
is the coach calls the place if things aren't working. I saw him take
way too many threes the players every time down. I'm sorry, that's not
realistic, but you know, he's the one that can make the adjustments in
the staff, and I didn't see enough adjustments if the players aren't playing the
way he calls the player too in a row, then put someone else in
that's going to do the play right. All right. I appreciate the phone
call. There's blame to go around. I just think it's got to be
on your stars. They're the ones who are most responsible on stuff like this
happens because when things are going great, they're getting to love the praise.
All right, Before we get out of here, let's get to Big Brother
Jake Warner for some positivity. Yes, effort, we bake the fake Philosopher
the Big Brother Jake Podcast. What's up? Yeah, man, I'm trying
to recover, but I'm here for my job to be positive, So thank
you. It does not matter how deep you fall. What matters is how
high you bounce back. We're gonna bounce back at Chicago baby, all right?
All right, Hide Town is the destination for the turnaround for this Clippers
team. I like that. Tip off is at five Thursday, pre game
at four before we get out of here, thanks Big Bro, Thanks to
the Clippers organization. Ralph La'lerbrien Seeman, Noah Ego, Carlo Jimenez on the
call, the callers, the listeners, Katie Newton, our producer back in
the bank until Thursday. With the Clippers in Shytown taking on the Bulls for
the second time in a week. I'm out of Moslim. We'll talk to
you at four. Why he was doing his thing. All they want to
do is win in La I win. I thought they gave everything they had.
I'm proud of them. This has been Clippers Talk, the official postgame
reaction of the LA Clippers. God Bless Paul George. Are you know It's
a change? Don't miss an episode all season law. Go to wherever you
podcast and subscribe today. Well off the show. I got you on the
iHeart Radio. You guys are great. Thank you for joining us for another
exciting broadcast of LA Clippers basketball.