The Los Angeles Clippers once again blew a big lead on Friday night, when Stephen Curry and the Golden State Curry took care of them and outscored 52-20 them in the last 15 minutes of the game. They blew a 20-point lead as the Warriors trashed them to win the game.
After that, the Clippers were the subject of plenty of jokes and criticism from fans that couldn’t believe they failed to close a game once again. It happened in the Orlando bubble against the Denver Nuggets and now against the Warriors. Everybody had something to say about it and the players weren’t the exception.
This shouldn’t be a common thing for the Clippers and they’ll try to prevent that at any cost. Kawhi Leonard, the best player on the team, talked after the game, explaining what the Clips need to know to stop giving these games when people are convinced they’re going to win.
“We just have to change, pretty much,” Leonard said, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “We’ve got to change it. We’ve got to get better.”
Kawhi knows the key was the 3rd quarter, obviously, but he pointed out that the Clippers’ defense just disappeared at that moment, which facilitated things for the Warriors’ comeback.
“Our third quarter was terrible as far as defense,” Leonard said. “Them able to get easy looks, coming down just laying up the ball with no one there. Steph Curry did a few times.
“In that third quarter, just guys coming down and getting either open looks or just walking to the basket and laying up the ball.”
This situation can’t be repeated again. They did this last season against the Nuggets, they suffered a big loss against the Dallas Mavericks in December and now they blew another lead against the Warriors. Something needs to change for the Clips or they will keep carrying that tag of a failing team.
38 points. 9 threes. 11 assists.@StephenCurry30 stays hot and pours in 24 2nd half PTS to lead the @warriors comeback. #DubNation pic.twitter.com/b7cdeCcMiw
— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2021
