After the LA Clippers did not respond and were sent by a more aggressive and hungry New Orleans Pelicans group on Sunday night, Kawhi Leonard said the team’s lack of consistency is very worrying.
The Clippers never led by 33 points and fell 135-115 to the up-and-coming Pelicans in New Orleans. While the Clippers were without Patrick Beverley (knee) and lost a second starter in Serge Ibaka for the second half due to the troubled back, Leonard did not like what he saw.
The Clippers, a team that is expected to compete for a championship, have lost five of their last seven games. After starting the season 21-8, the Clippers have been 4-7 ever since.
“It’s very worrying,” Leonard said when asked how worried he was. “[If] we want a chance at anything, you have to be consistent. You know, that’s what the big teams do, they’re consistent. They have their nights when the energy is not there. But it’s about consistency, from teams to players to coaches. This is what makes a team excellent, players good, coaches good. A steadiness to be, to want to win and to do the same winning habits. ‘
Clippers coach Ty Lue was as angry as he was this season after a loss. The Clippers (25-15) allowed New Orleans (17-22) to score 36 points and shoot 14-for-21 in the first quarter to fall behind by 12 points. team 25-24 in the first quarter.
“Teams are going to us, and we need to offer more resistance,” Lue said. “I’m not discouraged because we have shown what we can do, and we can play at a high level. But we have to do it every night. We can not keep talking about it. We have to f — ing. .. sorry, we have to do this. ‘
The only time the even Lue was frustrated after a loss was when the Clippers were drilled on February 25 by a more physical and aggressive Grizzlies team in Memphis during a 122-94 defeat. The loss not only means the start of this current piece of weak play, but the Clippers opened the game and this last loss in New Orleans in a similar way.
“That’s exactly how it felt,” Lue said of the Memphis defeat. “That’s what our coaching staff talked about. They were more physical than us, they were harder 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 do not give a damn, I do not care who you play. ‘
After losing 28 points to the Grizzlies, the Clippers bounced back and beat Memphis 20 the following game. But the Clippers follow it up with three consecutive losses entering the All-Star break.
It looks like the Clippers are back on track by blowing the Golden State Warriors 130-104 at home on Thursday. But then came Sunday night’s gloomy effort without Beverley, who often gives the Clippers an attitude and energy.
“As [Beverley is] here or not … everyone has to do it, “Leonard said to bring the energy. Cannot rely on one person. “
The Clippers 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 lose another 50 points,” said a frustrated Lue. “So we have to be ready, we have to be prepared. And we need to get our things together, man. ‘