The film session examined how the Clippers had blown double-digits leads in all of their games this season, highlighting how carelessness with the basketball played a role in four losses.
Maintain your leverage, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue implored his players during the session; stop turning the ball over at such a high frequency.
To Lue’s dismay, the Clippers started poorly against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, falling behind by 26 points in the first quarter, their defense getting torched amid seven turnovers.
But the Clippers didn’t relent. They picked up their defensive pressure in the second quarter, holding the Spurs to 16 points. They didn’t have a turnover in the second quarter, and they scored 34 points in the period to pull within eight of the lead at the half.
Read more: Clippers fade in second half against Thunder to remain winless at Intuit Dome
Behind Norman Powell’s 23 points and Amir Coffey’s 21 points off the bench, the Clippers surged in the fourth quarter to a 113-104 win over the Spurs on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak and give the team its first win at the Intuit Dome.
Powell has scored at least 20 points in each of the last six games.
There also was the sizzling shooting by Coffey, who was five for six from three-point range for the Clippers (3-4).
Ivica Zubac (17 points, 13 rebounds) had one of the game’s biggest moments when he grabbed an offensive rebound and threw a left-handed dunk over Victor Wembanyama late in the second quarter. The Clippers center dunked over Wembanyama again in the fourth quarter while being fouled.
“Yesterday the film session was more about (when) we’re up 13, we’re up 15 (and) we’re having two or three turnovers in a row, a team makes two or three threes, now it’s a six-point game,” said Lue, whose team had just 12 turnovers against the Spurs. “That’s been the formula the whole time. Like, when we get up, we’re turning the basketball over and then we’re not even getting back in transition and they are getting easy baskets, which has been tough.”
Wembanyana had 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks for the Spurs (3-4), who played the game without legendary coach Gregg Popovich, 75, who is dealing with a health issue.
Notes
When asked if Kawhi Leonard, who has missed all seven regular-season games, was playing this week, Lue said, “No.” The Clippers have three more games this week: at home Wednesday night against the 76ers and Paul George; at Sacramento on Friday and back at home against Toronto.
Read more: Devin Booker torches Clippers for 40 as Suns overcome 21-point deficit to win
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
