Clippers' Losing Streak Continues As Warriors Hand Them Fourth Consecutive Defeat Despite Russell Westbrook's Struggles
The Los Angeles Clippers suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on Thursday as they blew a double-digit lead against the Golden State Warriors, losing 115-91.
Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who joined the team just four games ago, was targeted by the Warriors defense, which dared him to shoot from outside the paint, a strategy that Westbrook struggled to counter.
The Clippers' challenges, however, go beyond finding the best use for their new point guard, with star player Paul George admitting that the team's urgency and transition defense could be better.
Photo: Instagram/Russell Westbrook |
The Clippers' offense has not been a problem, but their shooting accuracy was dismal against the Warriors, making just nine of their 43 three-pointers.
With Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell both sidelined for their upcoming game against Sacramento, the Clippers will need to dig deep and be mentally tough to turn things around.
Coach Tyronn Lue stressed the importance of having a strong mindset and not giving in when things don't go their way.
Westbrook had a decent first half, but the Clippers' third-quarter performance was disastrous, with the team committing more turnovers than field goals and scoring only 16 points, while the Warriors' Jordan Poole alone scored 22 points in the quarter.
The Clippers have lost double-digit leads in three out of their four recent defeats, which is a worrying trend that they need to address.
Despite Leonard scoring 21 points and George making 11 points, the Clippers' attention to detail was not up to par, and Eric Gordon, who made six of his 16 shots, including two of 10 from deep, acknowledged that the responsibility lies with the players to improve.
The Clippers had successfully turned their fortunes around earlier in the season by making changes to their lineup and reducing their turnovers, but with only 17 games remaining, they will need to act fast to avoid missing out on the playoffs.
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Source: Yahoo Sports
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