The game is over. Paul George money in the pain, but the postgame
reaction has just be gone. Kawhi Leonard is so smooth in the mid range.
This is Clippers locker Room, 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 Ouslin, the Clippers and the twenty
twenty two twenty twenty three regular season with a victory in Phoenix one nineteen to
one fourteen, where they will be next weekend for a first round four five
matchup in the Western Conference. Welcome into your post game show. I'm Adam
Oslin coming up second half highlights, plus you'll hear from the head coach and
the players. But first, back out to Phoenix with your voice of the
Clippers in Noah Eagle. Well, that sense of urgency came in the fourth
quarter and Kawhi Leonard had twelve of his twenty five down the stretch. Now,
Kawhi was spectacular. Russell Westbrook, how about that performance in the fourth
quarter and the overall they put up thirty seven and the four thirty four in
the third, seventy one points in the second, half after they scored seventy
two in the second half yesterday against Portland. This was just a game where
okay, you needed to have it, and the Clippers recognized that and before
it was too late they found a way through. They just battled. It
never felt like they were out of it. I think that was always the
big key. Just felt like they were getting out worked, which was frustrating,
but they ended up out rebounding on the offensive end. The Phoenix Suns
in this game fourteen to twelve more second chance points. They had sixty eight
points in the paint to fifty for Phoenix, and even the points off turnovers.
Despite turning it over three more times, they only had two fewer points
off turnovers. Fifty three bench points to forty for the Suns, twenty nine
of them coming from Norman Powell. This was just a huge win in so
many ways. And again Pale goes over three from Downtown. He takes this
next week, he gets that three point stroke back look out because the Clippers,
they I know, even maybe without Paul George or Marcus Morris, they're
right there as the deepest team in the NBA, and Phoenix can't say the
same about out themselves with though I would say a lot of these guys today
proved a lot Terrence Ross obviously is a mainstay in the NBA and has been
for a long time. Saving Lee had twenty five points, a career high,
and nine assists in this game played forty four minutes. Josh Akogi has
played really good basketball over the course of this season. So they've got guys
that've got bodies. But the Clippers are gonna have to be ready. And
if anybody's gonna get his team prepared, it's Torontolu, the chiropractor, making
all the right adjustments in a seven game series. I U Topplandor and Powell
post game. He had nine of his twenty nine points game high twenty nine
in that fourth quarter. And yeah, even without the three pointers falling for
him, he's still get into the charity stripe. He's still turning the corner
on guys and getting into the basket at will. Yeah, that's the big
key. It's not really anything all that sexy or complex. It's really just
straight line drives. Nobody can stop him right now. Couples, maybe a
crossover, one change of direction, then just boom right to the basket and
when he gets in there, he's a great finisher, especially at his size.
You know, he's under size six three two fifteen, but he's straw,
He's sturdy, and he can get upstairs. He's gonna elevate. I
thought that he was great once he recognized okay, shots still not fallen.
Let me find a way to get to the basket again. And ever since
Toron lu challenge him saying can you score without getting fouled, he has really
looked to do that every single time he's touched the basketball. So early first
round preview, Phoenix has only had Kevin Durant for about a handful of games.
What have you seen when he's been on the floor with Devin Booker,
DeAndre Aden and CP three. Well, look, Kevin Durant is arguably the
best plug and play player in the entire NBA, playing and simple, and
all I'm seeing is that he's Kevin Durant righting along next to Devin Booker,
and he's not really causing any rift with what he already did saying with DeAndre
eight news. Maybe getting less touches than he did before, but if he
rebounds and he plays hard and runs rim to rim, he know that Chris
Paul is gonna find him eventually. You know, Chris Paul's not looking at
score necessarily unless he has to. But when the situation calls for it,
he's gonna go out there and he's gonna score with the basketball. So it's
a it's a tough team to face, no doubt about it, but they're
not impossible to be and they've only played eight games together so far, all
three of them, which is ironically the same amount of games James Harden,
Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant played before the playoffs two years ago. Now,
a lot of people would say, if those guys didn't get hurt,
if James Harden and Kyrie Irving don't go down, that's a Nets team that
maybe goes to the NBA Finals. If Kevin Durant has a couple inches shorter
foot, that's a team that maybe goes to the NBA Finals. And you
can say that that's great, But that's the concern for Phoenix as well,
is that they haven't had a ton of time on the court because of injury,
and so you're all getting back out there. Sure, you have the
week off year, you can try to go out and see if you can
just be healthy and play your game. But it's easier said than done,
and it's a team that's going to try to basically build the chemistry on the
fly. And if the Clippers are solid, and again that's a big key.
They've got to be solid on both ends of the floor, They're gonna
absolutely be in every one of those games in that series. And so then
it just comes down to who wants it More's got better will who's got better
shot makers? Clippers got one of the best and Kawhi Leonard we saw it
again today and he's talked about it forward. He's on the court. He
feels like they can win against anybody out there, and we talked about it
a little bit. But this Clippers team has thrived in an underdog role when
they're not supposed to win. Phoenix will likely be the favorites in the seven
game series with home court advantage with Kevin Durant, but the Clippers back against
the wall. You don't want to go up against a team like this,
no that again, we saw it these last several games, whether it was
the Lakers, the Portland Trailblazers, or the Phoenix Suns. Back was against
the wall. After that Pelicans lost last weekend, it felt like this team
was going to the play in tournament. It just did because that game meant
so much, not just for tiebreaker, because they didn't have the tie break
here anyway, the Pelicans already claimed it. But it was more so that
if the Clippers had won that game, they create so much distance between themselves
and the Pelicans, and ironically it actually would have made this game mean something.
It would have forced Phoenix that probably play everybody to secure that fourth spot.
Instead, there was so much on the line today as a result,
and my point being, after that game, I think so many people were
dejected. So many people felt like, oh, that's it this team,
They've just put themselves in too deep of a hole. They're not going to
recover from it. Well, guess what, back against the wall all the
way at the bottom of the hole. Not only do they dig themselves out
of it, not only do they push themselves off the wall, but they
do it in style. Coming back from ten down or more than ten down
these last two games, and withstanding some incredible laker runs in a hostile environment
that always is the battle for LA. I think that it's really impressive that
they showed ways and wills just to find ways to get the victories. Now
it's about, okay, can you take it to another level? And they
have that extra gear. Certainly Kawhi Leonard just by himself has that extra gear.
So now it's about going forth, putting forth your best foot And I
think the Clippers they know what's at stake. They feel like their backs against
the wall regardless, and they also know the longer they play, the more
chance that Paul George can return. And this team feels like they're at full
strength, no doubt. Clippers riding a three game winning streak into the postseason
where they will see the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix next weekend in the four five
matchup. Clippers win today one nineteen to one fourteen in Game eighty two,
final game of the regular season. Noah Eagle, great calls in this one,
doing Yeoman's work, going back and forth between ball games. Once again,
just having your head on a swivel like that. Unbelievably impressive. We
will talk to you next weekend in the playoffs. Noah Eagle, Let's do
it, yeah, listen, I mean that all sounds great. Ten out
of twelve years now the Clippers have been in the playoffs. Really just nice
to be. Can't wait out of Come on a second half highlights coming up
next. Clippers are postseason bound and they know their opponent in the Phoenix Suns,
who they took down today one nineteen to one fourteen. More postgame show
coming up next right here on the Los Angeles Clippers Radio Network. Clippers finish
out the regular season with the victory they win one nineteen to one fourteen over
the Suns in Phoenix, who they will see next weekend in a first round
Western Conference matchup in the four five series. Welcome in. This is your
Clippers post game show. I'm Adam Oslin. Coming up on the Patriot AM
eleven fifty. We'll have Clippers talk for you. Eight seven seven five two
zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty is the phone number.
Let's get to your second half highlights. Clippers were down at the half
in this one. It was fifty three forty eight. They were playing lack
luster, low energy basketball, and even after getting a six point lead early
in the third quarter and it looked like they were starting to take control,
the Suns would take it right back. They led by four heading into the
fourth at eighty six to eighty two, but the Clippers needed this one to
secure their spot has a top six seed, and Kawhi Leonard came through down
the stretch all the law from Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard climbs the imaginary ladder.
He slams with two. Leonard was seventeen and twelve. The Clippers lead one
oh two, one hundred. Leonard the free throw line, jap step drive
right back down on a Kobe, floats it up and in with a right
hand. Kawhi Leonards got nineteen points on the season high fourteen rebounds. Kawhi
Leonard from the free throw line just bounced it through with a right hand Leonard
phase from fifteen. He hits Kawhi Leonard money in the mid range. He's
got twenty three. Leonard crossing back and forth on a Kobe drive the middle
into the paints all the way in the rim, floats it up and in
off the window of the left hand. Kawhi Leonard, Mister fourth quarter is
taken over. Kawhide took him home and took him into a first round matchup
against the Phoenix Suns with those twelve points in the fourth quarter for the Clippers
to win one nineteen to one fourteen over the Suns in Phoenix, where they
will be coming up next weekend in the four five matchup of the playoffs.
Clippers avoid the play in tournament. We saw it happened last year. Didn't
work out in that situation. They're guaranteed at least won seven game series.
It'll be against the Suns with Kevin Durant now, it's a rematch between the
two ball clubs from the twenty twenty one Western Conference Finals. The Clippers will
be going up against an old friend too in Chris Paul More Clippers postgame coming
up next right here on the Los Angeles Clippers Radio Network. The Clippers claim
the five spot in the West after they win one nineteen o one fourteen over
the Phoenix Suns, who they will see in the first round. It's a
four or five matchup with Phoenix having home court advantage over the Clippers. Welcome
back into your post game show. I'm Adam Oslin. Coming up on the
Patriot Am eleven fifty. We will have Clippers talk for you eight seven seven
five two zero eleven fifty eight seven, seven, five two zero eleven fifty
is the phone number or get to me at follow Adam a on Twitter.
Clippers end this one. It wasn't pretty, but they ended up outscoring the
Sun's thirty seven or twenty eight in that fourth quarter. Or Russell Westbrook came
up huge a putback slam, another hustle player that he put it back in
with six points. Six of his twenty five came in the fourth, Norman
Pallid twenty nine, nine of his twenty nine coming in the fourth quarter,
and Kawhi Leonard with twelve of his twenty five points on eleven of twenty one
shooting coming in the final stretch and went for a season high fifteen boards.
By the way Kawhi Leonard getting some big ones down the stretch and the Clippers
ramping up their defensive intensity, they found that sense of urgency in the final
period. After trailing by four entering the fourth quarter, they come through with
a victory even after going five of twenty three from the outside, and they
have won three in a row heading into that first round matchup against the Suns.
They've yet to see this team With Kevin Durant next to Devin Booker CP
three and DeAndre Eighton the talent level, feels more like a Western Conference Finals
matchup gonna happen in the first round instead tip time. We don't got it
for you yet to be determined t b D, but it will be next
weekend, starting with Game one in Phoenix. Outside of Los Angeles. We
are leaving you until then. Coming up next year. On the Patriot Am
eleven fifty, we got Clippers Talk. Welcome into Clippers Talk. There's a
new share from town. You won't be able to deny it. 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 hear episodes you've missed. Subscribe
to Clippers Talk on iHeart Radio or wherever you podcast. Now your host of
Clippers Talk. Here's Adam oslin. Well. In Game zero of this upcoming
seven game first round series, the Clippers would win one nineteen to one fourteen
over the Phoenix Suns to close out this twenty twenty two twenty twenty three NBA
season and welcome in the Clippers suck. I'm out a Moslin eight seven seven
five two zero eleven fifty eight seven seven five two zero eleven fifty as the
phone number or get to me at follow Adam A on Twitter. Clippers no
their first round opponent, They just played them if they got comfortable out in
the Sun and Phoenix, because they're gonna be there to start off the series
in the four five matchup of the Western Conference playoffs next weekend. Oh and
they needed to get this victory down the stretch because, as Minnesota did go
on to eventually win, it was a back and forth game between them and
the Pelicans, and one possession game back and forth down the stretch of the
fourth quarter could have gone either way. And if the Clippers had lost and
the Pelicans had come up with the victory, Clippers would have got bumped back
down into the play in against the Lakers. So Kawhi Leonard steps up late,
we'll hear from him post game and the head coach coming up. As
Kawhi had twelve of his twenty five points in the final. I want to
say seven minutes when he returned in the fourth, just doing it all but
a season high fifteen boards, two six assists, did have four turnovers,
some bad ones. The Clippers as a team had just ten in the ball
game. But it wasn't just him. In the fourth, Russell Westbrook huge
energy, momentum shifting type of plays, hustle plays a huge putback dunk with
the right hand alb to Kawhi Leonard as well. Russ had six of his
twenty five in the fourth. When the Clippers were trailing by four. Entering
the fourth, it was touch and go. It was close. Even with
Phoenix and their backups out there. They didn't play kd. They didn't play
Devin Booker, nor CP three or DeAndre eighton. Clippers didn't even get a
look at that team all season long, as Kevin Durant came in at the
trade deadline. They haven't seen this version of the Phoenix Suns or playing it
close to the chest. And they didn't need the victory. They already had
the fourth spot, and I think they wanted to see the Clippers, or
they want to see the Clippers in the first round. It was between them
or the Golden State Warriors taken on the Suns, and the Suns pretty much
chose the Clippers with the lineup they put out there today. Granted, those
guys played very well and the Clippers just weren't good enough, especially the first
half. They took a lead early, up by six in the third quarter,
but then gave it back again, down by four heading into the fourth.
It was scary there. As you're watching this game along with the Pelicans
Minnesota Timberwolves game, I'm sure Adam Silver got what he wanted on this final
day of the NBA season. Teams going hard because their placed in the standings
was uncertain. It was still up in the air. Teams had to fight
down the stretch. Clippers had to do that. They come through, They
win by five, and they are in the five spot in the West with
a showdown against the Phoenix Suns next weekend in a first round matchup that again
feels more like a Western Conference finals type of matchup considering the amount of talent
on both sides. The question is going to be whether or not Paul George
can return for this first round series. Obviously, that's a huge wild card
right now, but the Clippers have won three in a row. They certainly
have gotten Kawhi Leonard back to full strength. This was the second time he
played the second game of a back to back and has just been unbelievable since
January seventh, since he got back to playing thirty five plus minutes a night.
Here is what Kawhi Leonard has been able to do. He's been averaging
this is just absurd, twenty seven point per game, seven boards, and
four assists. But it's the shooting splits that really tell the story. Fifty
three percent from the field, forty seven percent from the outside, ninety percent
from the free throw line. Damn near fifty fifty ninety splits, And they're
gonna need him to be at his best. And in that playoff mode,
Kauai always seems to find where he plays. And I said this during the
twenties twenty one playoffs before he went down with the ACL tear, no one
was playing better. The guy who could make an argument during that time,
though, was Kevin Durant, then a member of the Brooklyn Nets, now
with the Phoenix Suns. So a big matchup between those two. But who's
gonna be guarding Devin Booker who's gonna be on Chris Paul? Are he and
Russell Westbrook former teammates gonna be going back and forth as the starters. We're
gonna see some Terrence Man on Chris Paul. The matchups very intriguing. I
felt like a Visa Zubots and have felt like he has gotten the better of
DeAndre Ayton and a lot of their matchups over the years, including before he
went down with a knee injury in that twenty twenty one Western Conference Finals matchup.
Remember it wasn't just not having Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers still took him
to six games, but they lost Big Zoo a couple of games in who
played well? Who does well? In that one on one conversation between him
and DeAndre Ayton, the battle of the Bigs. So this has all sorts
of storylines and it's going to be a battle in the first round Clippers and
Sons starting next weekend. Let's start with Mike in La here on Clippers Talk.
Mike, what's up? Well, you know all season everyone's been saying,
just wait for the playoffs. Everything will be okay. Come the playoffs,
Come, the playoffs, come the playoffs, and you know, we've
played with fire, but we got there, so you know, now it's
time to uh now it's time to make good on the wet talker. I
agree with you to an extent. The Clippers basically, either they're a flip
the switch team or they're an inconsistent team that is likely going to be taken
out in the first round by a Phoenix Suns team. Either they are that
team that we thought they could be, that they've showed flashes of all season
long, are they're going to be in big trouble against Phoenix, And I
think if they, you know, wind up not performing well in the first
round and being a quick guy, I think there needs to be some major
changes made in the off season because you know, I understand that you know,
obviously Paul George is injured in that you know, you can't understand how
important that is or you can't overstate I'm sorry to overstate how important that is.
But just given what we've seen this season, if they, you know,
if they become a quick out, I think we really need to look
at we can talk about there. If we can talk about that, if
we get there, Mike, who do you think is the X factor?
In this series for the Clippers, Terrence Man, he's the difference maker if
they win this series. Terrence Man is gonna have a huge impact, I
think so yeah, I like that call. I think he need to have
a huge impact to witness series well, and he can on both ends of
the court. We've seen Terrence Man catch fire offensively in the playoffs. His
career high happened against the Utah Jazz in the second round when he scored thirty
nine points. The Clippers came back down twenty five in the second round,
and Terrence Man has shown him the ability to rise up in big moments.
But I think his defense, in particular on Chris Paul could change the complexion
of this series. He's done a very good job against him, as is
the Viza Zoobots. When he's in drop. He has been preventing CP three
from getting to his spots that right elbow. Chris Paul loves it. He's
money in the mid range there and they have mid range masters. They're calling
him the mid range Mafia in Phoenix between CP three, Kevin Durant and Devin
Booker, those guys can kill you from ten to sixteen feet out just automatic.
So tough to stop. Clippers obviously have Kawhi Leonard on that end to
also score buckets at will in the mid range, but without Paul George,
at least for now, we don't know what his status will be heading into
the first round series. We got an update from him yesterday. Still no
timetable on his return going through the recovery phase with that springed right knee.
But I think one of the guys has to be Norman Powell. He has
to be great. An efficient twenty plus per game is what he's going to
have to average the Clippers to take down the Phoenix Suns. It's just what
it is. I've talked about it a lot. Coming into this season.
I thought Norman Powell would prove to be the third most important player on this
Clippers team. And there's an argument for other guys in there, Nicholas Batoum.
Of course, it beats the Zoobots and what he brings defensively, but
the Clippers without Paul George are gonna need more consistent scoring to just take all
the offensive burden or some of it at least off the plate of Kawhi Leonards
without Paul George, who maybe out at least to start the series. We're
looking for an update. We got audio from coach Lou coming up. I'm
guessing because we got it yesterday. There's not gonna be anything that's transpired or
any new news with regarding Paul George. But Norman Powell, to me,
he's been really good the last couple of games now, maybe peeking at the
right time, and we saw how good he was playing in January, in
February before he went out with that right shoulder injury. This was someone who
was in the six minute of the year conversation, maybe at the top of
it. But the last three games now Clippers won them all. Twenty seven
against the Lakers, eight of fifteen shooting, twenty three against Portland yesterday,
seven to fourteen, twenty nine on twelve of twenty two shooting today against Phoenix.
This is who he has to be. An efficient twenty plus a game
score and a guy who gets to the free throw line. As much as
people talked about rather preferring a three six match up against the sacrament Or Kings,
and if the Clippers had lost it, turns out they would have got
that. But it was too close of a game between the Pelicans and the
Timberwolves to really know what was going to happen there. But as much as
people liked that matchup against the Kings, who are less experienced out there obviously
haven't been to the playoffs since two thousand and six, style of play didn't
really for the Clippers in that series because the Kings want to get up and
down. Clippers are basically a bottom ten team in pace. They've been better,
they've played faster since bringing in Russ. They're closer to around fourteen.
But the Suns they're a slower paced, more methodical team out there. The
Clippers are comfortable playing at that tempo, so that's an advantage if you're looking
at some of these early matchups and stylistically how these two teams match up against
one another. Considering the Clippers have never taken on this Phoenix team with Kevin
Durant, there's something there. But the good news is not being in the
plan. Five days off, more rest and more preparation and strategizing by the
tactician who is head coach Ron Low. All Right, we'll come back.
We'll get to your more of your phone calls eight seven seven five two zero
eleven fifty eight seven seven, five two zero eleven fifty four or five matchup
is set Clippers in that five spot taking on the Suns in the first round.
Not gonna be easy. Coming up next, you'll hear from Coach Lou
and Kawhi Leonard post game after they win in Game eighty two one nineteen to
one fourteen, closing out this regular season on a three game winning streat.
Because the Clippers head into the playoffs and you're listening to Clippers stock here on
the Patriot AMLM fifty. Clippers will open up the first round of the playoffs
in Phoenix against the Suns, and the four or five matchup Game one will
be next Sunday. Don't have a time yet, but Game one Clippers and
Suns coming up April sixteenth, next Sunday. Welcome back into Clippers talk after
they close out the season with a one nineteen one fourteen victory over the Suns,
who played no one, showed none of their hand out there, didn't
need to. They put themselves in that position where we're gonna be in the
fourth spot no matter what, and they basically chose their opponent, not playing
their starters, not playing their stars against the Clippers likely meant the Clippers were
going to win. It was a lot tougher than we thought it was going
to be, and that meant the Clippers we're going to take on the Suns.
Here we go. Let's go to Mitch in New Jersey. Mitch,
what's up your on Clippers side? Without I'm as oh, man, I
don't know how you're doing again, Hi, Match, what's up? Apparently
bros? They really make things tough. They really liked the start a bit
poorly without the intensity. They gotta do it, and we're gonna need this
five days off, Let's have a hopefully our three hall of famis be complaining
together, meaning Paul, George and I say we're gonna get to the finals,
or at least to the Western Conference finals. And this would be the
first time I would speak to you in June with I hope that happens.
I hope if it he's talking to you in junals. Let's get that we
need. We need a lot of rests coming weeks. It's gonna be I
appreciate the phone call. Match, Yes, hope to be talking to you
in June. First things first, Clippers taken on what many people consider to
be the favorites in the West in the Phoenix Suns since they brought in Kevin
Durant. And we don't have an update yet on Paul George. I don't
think we're getting another one today. Got it yesterday and there was still no
timetable on his return. Uh Tasius and Walnut Jesus, what's up? You're
on Clipper stop without Himstin Kay, I don't know how you've been. It's
been a while. What's good. It's been a while, two months because
because my dad had a heart attack and he's in the hospital for a month.
I'm to hear that after Yeah, well it was it was. It
was just we've got to watch some Clipper games later on, and they gave
him a cardiac bear to hug, and they asked him what to name it,
and he named it the Clipper. So we're fames, we're following,
We're following it, Alo following along. He kept watching an even when he
wasn't feeling well, He'd see Steve Bomber smiling and jumping up and down and
brought a smile to his face. So are you saying this Clippers season actually
had a Clippers fan having a heart attack, but he's okay, I know
right, oh man, it was really the I know, what can we
say? But got married after and been following along here and there, but
it's been crazy. But just wanted to call in and say, you know,
it's gonna be tough obviously and if we don't have PG, but it
feels like, you know, we have very little room for error here.
And I mean a couple of things that seemed evident that to win would be
that we gotta not allow them second chance points, so we gotta be rebounding
the ball well and all that eight and then all of them get offensive rebounds
and then two. It just seems like we got to be able to hear
a three point shot to win these this series. Like we can't be called
because as we hit the three point shot, we were tough to beat.
Even so, it seems like with Batom, Terrence Men, Eric Gordon Kawai,
like if a couple of them can stay hot from the three point Braine
and we have a good chance to still win. Tholder the two keys,
I think right now, Nah, they're both really good points. I think
that battle and matchup between eighton and it beats a Zubots could swing things one
direction or the other depending on who gets the best of the of the guy
next to him. Vietsa Zubats, though has played well against Deansreden. I
will say that for him. And then the three point shooting. Aside from
this game where they went five of twenty three, you know, the Clippers
post All Star Break last twenty one games, best three point shooting team in
the league, they were right back to being just under forty percent. That's
a huge part of their game. And you know, as good as Devin
Booker is, as good of a shooter of he as he is with his
shooting form that looks, you know, perfect beautiful Ray Allen esque, He's
only a thirty five percent shooter from the outside for his career. It's kind
of stunning. He can get hot, he can get scorching hot. He
can score seventy points on you. He's done it before. But that's someone
who isn't an elite three point shooter. Obviously, Kevin Durant is CP three.
He knocks down his shots from the outside. I think those two things
you brought up tageous, but also the depth the bench favors the Clippers in
this matchup. I'll be careful there because the Phoenix Suns playing their backups today
played very well. But when you have Roco Terrence Man, Mason Plumley,
Bones Highland, Norman Powell coming off the bench, that's a big advantage.
The Clippers have to win those second unit stints, those minutes there with those
guys. When Kawhi is off the floor, I'm guessing they're gonna stagger he
and Russell Westbrook, but they have to find a way to load up whenever
Kevin Durant isn't out there, and they're probably gonna stagger him and Devin Booker.
But you got to take advantage of those minutes and win the bench battle
Clippers versus the Phoenix Suns. Oh, let's see who else do we have
here? Damien in La Damien, what's up? You're on Clipper stock with
that him? Austin TRIPLEA. What's up? Man? Another basketball brunch heart
attack right there? Man. You know, I thought this is gonna be
a little bit easier, so but I'm happy that they got indicative of how
the entire season is gone. It's nothing comes easy for this Clippers team,
including a first round matchup against the Phoenix Suns. But maybe that's just the
way they have to do it. I mean, it's par for the course,
for for being a clipper, you know, as a clipper since ninety
nine, I can tell you every win that I've ever witnessed has been hard
spot. You know. I can't remember, you know, too many times
when it wasn't. So I'm actually happy. I like the matchup. I
like us against the Suns, and I like it in the first round because
I think we have an opportunity to punch him in the mouth and catch him
slipping. I think that they messed up by thinking that, you know,
by being worried about Steph Curry and everything that they're doing down there and not
worrying about this team, basically what I believe to be a sleeping giant,
you know, and they're gonna wake up, start playing both ends of the
floor. We have two way guys coming off the bench. The problem.
Miles Bridges was always the guy on the Sun that I was worried about.
I know that DeAndre Aiden if you get after him early, he will fold
late, and I've seen him do that. The greatest thing that I think
that we have Adam going into it is. We have a secret weapon.
You've called him the legend killer, the giant killer. The whole team is
like that. How many times this season did we take the best punch from
their best player and still go out and win the ball game? Luca?
You know, Jokis went out there and did some damage. We had guys
come out there in serve us, but they still left with an el Well,
they never beat Denver this year, so I don't know what you're talking
about that. Oh no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It wasn't.
It wasn't Denver. I must have been dreaming. I was, which we'll
think? Am I better? I was trying to think of people, but
I remember that. You know, we played well against Jokis, and I
think that if we if we met him, that Zoo would have a much
better game against Yoke. I think you'd step up to the challenge. But
I like the fact that you can throw your best guy at us and he
could go for fifty doesn't mean you're gonna win the ball game. Well,
we did see that with the Golden State Warriors recently, where Steph Curry went
for fifty and the Clippers still won. Granted they didn't have Andrew Wiggins,
and he's gonna be back, it looks like. But the Clippers do have
one of the worst records going up against teams above five hundred this season for
a playoff contender, they may have the worst. So they are either that
sleeping giant, that team that can flip a switch and play their best when
their best is required come playoff time next weekend, or they're gonna get bounced
in the first round by a more talented Phoenix Suns team. It's one or
the other. One or the other. Rubber is meeting road for the Clippers.
Now. All the talk of just get to the playoffs, just get
to the playoffs, they have arrived, and they're taken on the Suns and
one of the most talented teams roster wise, certainly on the top end that
we have seen in years now adding Kevin Durant. But the last time out
against Phoenix, you're reminded me of that ball game. It was right before
the All Star break and the Clippers had a lot of success and Booker and
CP three, Andy andre Aden, they all played in that game and the
Clippers won one sixteen to one oh seven, and there was a wrinkle I
saw that I didn't expect, and it was Eric Gordon on Devin Booker,
and he played them really well. Booker was just six of sixteen from the
field, one of six from the outside, had just nineteen points. Gordon
did work in that game, showed me something defensively that he's still got it
at thirty four. And if he's in the starting lineup, I think he's
gonna be matched up against Booker. Then it will likely be Nicholas Batoum and
Kawhi Leonard starting off against Kevin Durant giving him different looks, Russell Westbrook going
up against CP three and eighton and Zubos battling in the paint. All right,
let's hear from the head coach post game though, as we get a
hurry here after the Clippers win one nineteen to one fourteen in Phoenix in game
eighty two, as we'll now have a seven game series between these two in
the first round, a little hell, you know, and then up down't
oh man, just I don't know. I ain't talking about this game is
over. We in the playoffs. I want to focus on that, and
we didn't play our best game. We know that. But whatever is behind
us. We got to focus on the bigger pitching. Everything's zero. What
do you died this team to do for the first practice of the playoffs?
First of all, just understand what we're trying to do defensively. You know,
we know a tough team. Well coach mine does a hell of a
job, one of the best coaches in our league. And so we know
with KD, with Book, with CP, you know, they definitely execute.
So we gotta be tight with our game plan, understanding what we're trying
to do, what we're trying to take away. We can't have a lot
of breakdowns, and we've been having breakdowns. You know. It's last couple
of weeks. You know, we haven't been a sharp defensivelyels we need to
be. But hopefully we four or five days to prepare, we should be
a lot better. Is that a physicality thing or is it something else?
It's a physicality and a mental thing. I saw bones and plumbly got into
a little bit on the bench between third and fourth quarters. Everything cool.
Yeah, if you ain't getting the right fight, then I don't know.
It's a big game. So if they ain't right, do something to fix
it. And at the lascarnments. We took off and played a lot better,
So maybe we should do that more off to that's about to say,
I like guys getting them do it on the bench. But if it were
they worked it out, it's okay. Everything's good. And you were happy
at the professional approach yesterday. Then you guys played like three to the first
three course day. What makes you think that, you know, come playoffs,
that's gonna switch. The flip's gonna switch. You guys can beat Oh
yeah, no flip. I mean we gotta be ready to play or we'll
be going home, you know. And so we understand that, we understand
what's the stake, and we know we're facing the good team. But you
know, eighty two games, you know, it's a long season, guys
in and out of rotation, a lot going on, and so for me,
I just want to just you know, thank my coaching staff. You
know, it's been a tough year for us. You know, all year
just grinding and you know, Kawhi missing thirty games, PG missing thirty games,
Norm missing twenty five, like it's just been a roller coach over season.
But to for our coaching staff and stay with it and continue to compare
prepare these guys where we have, and then the guys in the locker room
for fighting every single night, you know, playing through adversity, playing through
tough times, and you know, getting here and solidifying the fifth position that
means a lot. Says a lot about our guys in the locker room.
So I'm just happy with that. Overall. What has it been like to
start the year with this title, expertations and in the final minutes of the
season you might be in the playing you might not ending on how things go
at Minnesota New Orleans. It's what's that rived in life. It's been tough,
you know, Like I said, it's been hard. It's been a
hard road. And you know, we get two best players miss sixty games,
you know, and just trying to figure it out. And then you
can make a trade and you you acquire four new guys with twenty one games
left in the season. With three new guys with twenty one games left in
the season, and then Russ comes in with nineteen games in the season.
You know, it's just been it's been a crazy year. And so I'm
just proud of our guys. Like I said, I'm proud of our coaching
staff for just sticking in there, and now we start a new season.
So I'm excited about the task at hand. I know our guys in locker
room are as well, and so we got to be better than we have
been over the course of the last week or so. Coach Loup post game
there, we'll take a quick time out. Clippers win one, nineteen to
one to fourteen in Phoenix. But now it's for real, a seven game
series against the Sun's starting next Sunday. Game one in Phoenix coming up next.
More Clippers stock right here on Los Angeles Clippers Radio Network. Clippers first
round matchup is set. They take on the Phoenix Suns start next Sunday in
Phoenix. Just heard from coach Lou He said it. They either play their
best basketball now or they're going home. They either put together a more consistent
effort, certainly than what we saw in this game, or else they're going
home. Can they overcome the bad habits they've had all season, the lack
of chemistry and continuity out there and find a way well? And the Clippers
backs are against the wall that seems to be when they're at their best,
and they are going to be the underdog in this series against the Suns.
More Clipper stock next right here, I'm Los Angeles Clippers, right networking patriot
Hamm. You know what I'm not scared of. I'm not scared of Phoenix
Dallas, not even in the playoffs. They got Kawaii Irving and in Luca
dont Gold. Clippers. We've got to set them, Okay, we do
Westbrook. Gonda goes all the way his energy and his confidence in his good
play. But I'd like to energy in the confidence we go on someplace in
body. Keep the faith. I'm killing you. Keep the faith. I
like your energy and confidence. Clipper Nation, keep your podcast up to it.
Tomorrow Podcast P with Paul George. He's dropping an exclusive update on his
recovery from the right knee spring. Before we get out of here, I
do want to thank the Clippers organization, Noah Eagle, Brian Stephen, Ralph
Waller, a Big ro Jake Warrener, Katie Newton, the callers, the
listeners will talk to you guys next weekend for Game one Clippers and Sons.
This has been Clippers Talk. A postgame conversation about your LA Clippers with Adam
Oslay. If you like the show. Subscribe to Clippers Talk on the iHeart
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