Slowly and intentionally, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue climbed the steps to the rostrum for his postgame information convention and plopped down in his chair. He shook his head.
“I’m drained,” Lue mentioned.
And so had been his gamers.
It confirmed in how the Clippers blew a 14-point lead, in how the group’s greatest two offensive gamers, James Harden and Norman Powell, missed three of the group’s final six free throws within the ultimate 38.1 seconds of a tense recreation and in how heavy minutes for these two and Ivica Zubac pushed them to the restrict.
It confirmed in how the Clippers simply escaped with a 105-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday evening on the Intuit Dome in a recreation that got here all the way down to the ultimate seconds.
Learn extra: Norman Powell continues to shine, scoring 31 in Clippers’ win over Kings
The Clippers have performed 4 video games in six days. In 10 video games this season, they’ve performed three units of back-to-backs.
They gained their fourth consecutive recreation, however it took Harden enjoying over 34 minutes to get 24 factors, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Powell performed 35:03 to get his 24 factors and Zubac performed 38:20 to get 14 factors and 12 rebounds. It additionally took stellar protection by Terance Mann for the Clippers to shut out with a win.
“I knew a couple of of our guys had been drained,” Lue mentioned. “However this was one we needed to struggle via mentally. I do know Norm was drained from the soar and what he has been doing for us offensively. We would have liked each minute he may give us tonight, and I do know he was drained. Zu was slightly drained. However we needed to win this recreation.
“We’ll fear about tomorrow, tomorrow. However at the moment was a winnable recreation. We’re up so we needed to end the sport out and guys needed to play slightly bit extra minutes than you prefer to on a back-to-back, however we would have liked the win.”
After Toronto’s Immanuel Quickley tied the rating 102-102 on a three-pointer with 39 seconds left, the Clippers retook the lead when Powell made a free throw seconds later. Again on protection, Mann rose to the event, blocking a shot by Quickley.
A number of seconds later, Harden was fouled. However Harden additionally made only one free throw. He completed simply 5 for 17 from the sphere and two for eight from the three-point line.
“We had a troublesome schedule,” Harden mentioned. “However we make some good cash to go on the market and play the sport that we love. So, we simply obtained to determine methods to win video games.
“It ain’t nothing… I don’t know what you need me to say so far as…. You realize, tomorrow we journey, go to OKC and play one other one. Like, that is the NBA.”
With the Clippers clinging to a two level lead, Mann got here up huge once more on protection, forcing RJ Barrett to overlook a shot. However as an alternative of sealing the sport when he was fouled, Powell missed one other free throw, making it 105-102 with 8.7 seconds left.
That left the door open for another alternative for the Raptors.
After Toronto middle Jakob Poeltl drew a foul and made his first free throw, he deliberately missed his second free throw. He tried to attain on a putback, however his shot missed and Zubac corralled the rebound with 2.5 seconds left. He handed it to Harden, who threw it down courtroom as time expired.
“Within the recreation for me tonight, I used to be slightly drained, slightly fatigued from final recreation,” Powell mentioned about Friday evening’s recreation in Sacramento. “T Lue noticed it, however the coaches had been telling me simply play the sport the proper approach, don’t should power something and I simply stored telling myself to remain within the second and discover a approach.”
Kawhi Leonard’s return stays unclear
Lue was requested if Kawhi Leonard, who hasn’t performed this season due to irritation in his proper knee, would journey with the Clippers on their three-game journey that opens Monday towards Oklahoma Metropolis. He was brief together with his reply.
“Uh, no,” Lue mentioned.
Lue mentioned he wasn’t positive if middle Mo Bamba, who hasn’t performed this season due to a knee damage, would play in the course of the journey. Bamba has been progressing and enjoying in five-on-five and three-on-three periods, Lue mentioned.
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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.
