After the LA Clippers did not respond and were defeated by a more aggressive and hungry New Orleans Pelicans team on Sunday night, Kawhi Leonard said his team’s lack of consistency is “very worrying.”
The Clippers never led or added 33 points before falling 135-115 to the Pelicans up and down New Orleans. While the Clippers were without Patrick Beverley (knee) and lost a second starter to Serge Ibaka during the second half due to tension in his back, Leonard didn’t like what he saw.
The Clippers, a team expected to fight for a championship, have lost five of their past seven games. After starting the 21-8 season, the Clippers are only 4-7 since then.
“It’s very worrying,” Leonard said when asked what his level of concern about the fall was. “[If] we want to have a chance at anything, you have to be consistent. You know, that’s what great teams do, they’re consistent. They have the nights when, you know, the energy is not there. But it’s about consistency, from teams to players and coaches. That’s what makes a team great, the players are great, and the coaches are great. A consistency of being, wanting to win and doing practically the same habits of winning. “
Clippers coach Ty Lue was as angry as he has been this season after a loss. The Clippers (25-15) allowed New Orleans (17-22) to score 36 points and shoot 14-on-21 in the first quarter to stay behind 12. Lonzo Ball, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined to beat them all the Clippers teamed 25-24 in the first quarter.
“The teams are going towards us and we have to resist more,” Lue said. “I’m not discouraged, because we’ve shown what we can do and we can play at a high level. But we have to do it every night. We can’t keep talking about it. We have to go af — ing … I’m sorry, we have to do it. “
The only other time Lue, who was tied, was frustrated after a loss, when the Clippers were punctured by a more physical and aggressive Grizzlies team in Memphis during a 122-94 loss on May 25. February. this current stretch of bad play, but the Clippers opened up that game and that last loss to New Orleans in a similar way.
“That’s exactly how it felt,” Lue said of the defeat in Memphis. “That’s what our coaching staff was talking about. They were more physical than us, they were tougher than us and you saw the results. We just have to be better.
“We have to be more physical, we have to have a defensive mindset at the start of every game. I don’t care, I don’t care who you play.”
After that 28-point loss to the Grizzlies, the Clippers retired and beat Memphis by 20 the next game. But the Clippers followed that up with three straight defeats coming into the All-Star break.
The Clippers appeared to be back on the court by blowing up the Golden State Warriors 130-104 at home on Thursday. But then came the creepy Sunday night effort without Beverley, who often gives the Clippers an attitude and energy.
“Yes [Beverley is] here or not … everyone has to do it, “Leonard said as he energized.” You can’t trust one person. “
The Clippers will play Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday for the first time since the Mavs destroyed them 124-73 in Los Angeles during the third game of the season.
“If we play like that again tomorrow, it could be a 50-point loss,” one frustrated Lue said. “So we have to be prepared, we have to be prepared. And we have to have our things together, man.”