Clippers' Serge Ibaka Reportedly Out for Game 3 vs. Mavs with Back Injury
May 28, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 14: Serge Ibaka #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers defends Josh Hall #15 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 14, 2021 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Clippers center Serge Ibaka is expected to miss Game 3 of the team's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
The Clippers are facing a 2-0 series deficit.
According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Ibaka is dealing with a lingering back issue that'll keep him on the sidelines.
Clippers C/F Serge Ibaka is expected to miss tonight’s Game 3 vs. Mavericks due to lingering back issue, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. LAC is down 2-0 entering pivotal contest in Dallas.
Ibaka averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per night in 41 regular-season games this year. He played a combined 19 minutes in Games 1 and 2 against the Mavs, notching 10 points and four rebounds total.
Without Ibaka in the lineup, expect Ivica Zubac, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins to see a few more minutes than they might normally play.
The one thing Ibaka's status doesn't change is just how important it is for the Clippers to pull off a road victory Friday night. No team in NBA history has rallied back from a 3-0 series deficit. A loss to the Mavericks in Game 3 would put L.A. in the dubious position of trying to become the first team to do so.
Making matters worse, the Clippers are on a five-game postseason losing streak dating back to last summer. Los Angeles took a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals before dropping the next four straight contests.
The sooner Ibaka is able to come back, the better odds the Clippers have of ending that streak.
Clippers' Ty Lue: Game 3 vs. Mavs Will Show 'Who We Are and What We Are Made Of'
May 28, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 25: Head Coach Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Round 1, Game 2 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs on May 25, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers might be down 2-0 in their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, but head coach Tyronn Lue remains confident going into Game 3.
"I think when you're down 2-0 and you're coming into another team's arena, it shows what you're made of," Lue said Thursday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "Our toughness all year, just trust, sticking together, this is going to show us tomorrow who we are and what we are made of. So I'm excited to see [it]."
The Clippers lost the first two games of the series at home and must now win four of the next five to advance to the next round, including at least two on the road. The challenge begins Friday with Game 3 at the American Airlines Center.
"Urgency is the right word," the coach added.
Lue is in his first year as the Clippers head coach after taking over for Doc Rivers, who was fired after a disappointing showing in the postseason. Los Angeles defeated the Mavericks in the first round but blew a 3-1 lead to lose to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.
A first-round defeat with this roster would be an even greater disappointment.
The Clippers entered each of these past two seasons as one of the favorites to win a title after acquiring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019. Adding these two All-Stars to a roster that already went 48-34 in 2018-19 made the team appear ready for a successful postseason run.
The group couldn't advance beyond the second round last year and struggled with consistency in the 2020-21 regular season, finishing with just the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. A 4-6 finish to the season only created more question marks.
The pressure is now on the Clippers to turn things around over the next few games to avoid another embarrassing early exit.
With Leonard potentially becoming a free agent this summer thanks to a player option, this could be the last chance to make a run with the current roster.
Ty Lue Says He's Not Concerned After Clippers' Game 2 Loss to Luka Doncic, Mavericks
May 26, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 22: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks and Head Coach, Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers share a moment during Round 1, Game 1 of the the 2021 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue
said Tuesday he's not worried after his team dropped the first two
games of its first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers, who opened the series
with home-court advantage, dropped both games at Staples Center,
including a 127-121 loss Tuesday, and now head out on the road
already facing an uphill battle to advance.
"I'm not concerned," Lue told
reporters. "We gotta win four games, and you come in on an
opposing team's floor and play, there's no pressure on you to make
shots. You just try to come in and steal a game, steal two games. But
now they gotta go home and keep up the same shooting. It's easy to go
on the road and do that with no pressure. We'll see in Game 3."
The main concern for L.A. comes on the
defensive end. It allowed Dallas to shoot 50 percent from the field
with 17 threes in Game 1, and it was much the same story in Game 2, with the Mavs shooting 58.5 percent with 18 threes.
"It's not magic," Clippers
forward Kawhi Leonard said. "We got to come out and play
basketball. Get stops. That is the name of the game right now.
They're shooting too great in the first two games, and we have to
help each other. Too many straight-line drives, dunks, layups. We got
to hang our hat on the defensive end."
Point guard Luka Doncic has led the
charge for the Mavericks. He's tallied 70 points, 18 assists, 17
rebounds and 10 threes through the first two games as the Clips have
struggled to find a defensive answer.
While from the outside it appears the
series is trending quickly to Dallas, Los Angeles' Paul George echoed
his head coach's comments about not being concerned amid the 2-0
series deficit.
"It's a competition," George said. "We got to rise to the occasion. The fact of
the matter is if we don't, we're done for. There is no level of
concern. We just got to play our game, we got to play through this.
We got to incorporate our defense. Luka is going to get his touches.
We just got to do a better job defensively of quieting everyone
else."
The Clippers played well offensively in
Game 2, led by Leonard with 41 points and George with 28, but unless
they start stringing stops together at the defensive end, it won't be
enough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUq6UIAN5_8
Although the situation may seem dire,
FiveThirtyEight still gives the Clippers a modest 44 percent chance
to come back from dropping the first two games to advance.
If Los Angeles is going to make a
comeback, it needs to start turning things around in Game 3. Tip off
is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday in what's virtually a must-win
game for Leonard, George and Co.
Luka Doncic Drops 39 as Mavericks Beat Kawhi Leonard, Clippers in Game 2
May 26, 2021
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) is guarded by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half in Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The Dallas Mavericks own a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in their Western Conference first-round playoff series after defeating the hosts 127-121on Tuesday at Staples Center.
Luka Doncic paced the Mavs with 39 points on 16-of-29 shooting alongside seven assists and seven rebounds. He led a Dallas offense that shot 58.5 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from three-point range.
Tim Hardaway Jr. completed Doncic's effort with 28 points as he made 6-of-8 three-pointers.
Kawhi Leonard (41 points) and Paul George (28 points) carried the Clippers offense.
L.A. led 73-71 at halftime but went cold in the third quarter, scoring just 19 points. Dallas took advantage, posting 30 and taking a nine-point edge into the fourth. The Mavs led by as many as 13 in the fourth, but a 15-6 Clipper run cut the lead to four. L.A. couldn't get any closer, however.
Dallas is now two wins away from its first playoff series win since 2011, when it won the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles has lost homecourt advantage to Dallas in the best-of-seven playoff series, and the Mavs can now close this matchup at home with wins in their next two games.
Notable Performances
Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 39 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds
There isn't much defense for stopping Doncic at his best, much like there isn't much defense against a 7'3" big man who can catch-and-shoot three-pointers from 29 feet out.
The problem is the Mavs feature more than those two, with Hardaway Jr. firmly planting himself into this game when the focus was on Doncic:
Ultimately, the Mavericks' overwhelming and outstanding offense was far too much for the Clippers to handle.
Clippers' Closing Run Too Little, Too Late as Defense Struggles
The Clippers have some soul-searching to do after allowing the Mavericks to drop 127 points on them in their own building.
Sure, Doncic is looking like an all-time great, and it's nearly impossible to stop him at times. But the Clippers' defense simply faltered under the bright L.A. lights as the Mavericks did whatever they wanted offensively. It was quite the letdown for a Clippers team that allowed the fourth-fewest points per game in the NBA during the regular season.
On the other end of the court, Leonard and George didn't get enough help. Reggie Jackson (15 points) was the only other player to score more than nine. No player outside those three had more than three made field goals.
And yet none of that may have mattered.
The Clippers looked like they were all but done when Hardaway went to the free-throw line as Dallas led 114-101 with 6:55 remaining in regulation.
However, Hardaway missed both free throws, and L.A. proceeded to catch fire. A quick 8-0 run thanks to two Morris Sr. three-pointers and a George dunk kept L.A. alive.
The Clippers even had a chance to cut the deficit to two, but a George three-pointer did not connect.
The Dallas offense woke up again, but Leonard kept pushing as he hit a three-pointer to slash the Mavs' lead to 120-114. Then Terance Mann made a layup to knock the lead down to four.
However, the story of this game played out over the next possession, as the Clippers' defense failed when Hardaway hit a tough three-pointer for a seven-point edge.
George responded with a dunk, and Doncic missed a stepback jumper in response, but Mavs forward Dorian Finney-Smith's ensuing offensive rebound and four Josh Richardson free throws sealed the win.
What's Next?
The Mavericks will host the Clippers for Game 3 on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard After Losing Game 1: 'We Believe in Ourselves'
May 23, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during Round 1, Game 1 of the the 2021 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers may have fallen to the Dallas Mavericks at home in Game 1 of their first-round matchup—and lost home-court advantage in the process—but they aren't getting too down on themselves yet.
Luka Doncic's triple-double helped Dallas stun Los Angeles, 113-103, handing the club a fourth consecutive postseason loss dating back to last summer. That doesn't mean the Clips are panicking.
"Everybody was pretty up," L.A. star Kawhi Leonard told reporters after the loss. "Nobody was really down on the game. Obviously, nobody wants to lose. But our spirits are still high, and we believe in ourselves. Nothing good comes easy."
Despite Leonard and Paul George combining for 49 points, the Clippers offense went cold at the worst possible time Saturday, missing eight of its last nine field-goal attempts—along with three free throws—as the Mavs ran away with the upset.
It was less than a year ago Los Angeles blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals, and that sting is no doubt lingering. The stunning elimination cost head coach Doc Rivers his job. Now it's on his successor, Tyronn Lue, to prove the team won't fall into the same trap this season.
"We had a lot of breakdowns, a lot of mistakes defensively that we didn't execute right," Lue said. "We've just got to clean those things up and we will be fine. We've got to all be on the same page defensively with what we are doing and when we are changing coverages, as well."
The Mavs have now beaten Los Angeles in three of four meetings this year after clinching the regular-season series 2-1. In both Clippers losses during the season, Leonard and George were held under 50 combined points and L.A. failed to score more than 100 points total.
The lone victory saw the Clippers' duo combine for 37 points—but Los Angeles also happened to get double-digit scoring from all five starters as well as Nicolas Batum and Lou Williams off the bench.
Perhaps knowing the recipe to put Dallas away is providing the Clips with confidence this postseason. Putting that into action, however, has been an entirely different struggle—one Leonard, George and Lue are confident the team will overcome.
"We want to be the last team standing regardless of however many games it takes or how tough the road is," George said. "So, we got to be better for Game 2, and I plan on this team bouncing back."
Paul George Says Clippers Aren't Facing More Pressure After Game 1 Loss vs. Mavericks
May 22, 2021
Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George, right, complains about a call as forward Kawhi Leonard stands by during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Los Angeles Clippers are under the microscope after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs last season, but Paul George doesn't think they are facing any more pressure than the rest of the teams in the league even after Saturday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
"We got the same pressure every team has [in playoffs]," he said after the 113-103 loss, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "We want to be the last team one standing. We got to do better in Game 2. I plan for this team bouncing back."
George figured to face more pressure than most considering he struggled during that Nuggets series and is still looking for the first championship of his career.
It seemed to be more of the same in Saturday's Game 1 when he started just 1-of-7 from the field, but he played much better in the second half and finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists.
He hit a go-ahead three in the fourth quarter, tied the game with a stepback jumper with just more than three minutes remaining and seemed to play better as the pressure increased.
However, the team as a whole scored just five points in the final six minutes, which allowed the Mavericks to seize control down the stretch and steal home-court advantage in the series. It would be easy to suggest the pressure got to the Clippers when the game was on the line, especially when Dallas made it a point to get the ball out of Kawhi Leonard's hands in crunch time.
Luka Doncic was brilliant on the other side with a triple-double of 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith combined for nine three-pointers to provide critical support for the star.
Tuesday's Game 2 is close to a must-win for Los Angeles as it looks to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole before heading on the road for Games 3 and 4.
To hear George tell it, though, his team is under the same pressure as everyone else.
Luka Doncic Triple-Double Leads Mavericks to Game 1 Win vs. Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
May 22, 2021
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, top, celebrates after scoring as Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. looks on during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dallas Mavericks were ready this time.
After losing in Game 1 of the first round last year to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavericks seized early control this season with a 113-103 victory in Saturday's showdown at Staples Center. Luka Doncic was brilliant and led the way for Dallas as it stole home-court advantage against a team it won two of three from during the regular season.
Solid showings from Kawhi Leonard and Paul Georgewere not enough for the Clippers, who will look to return to the form they demonstrated when they eliminated the Mavericks last season.
Dallas could be forgiven if it felt like it was the better team in last year's playoff matchup.
After all, it was in control of Game 1 until Kristaps Porzingis was ejected because of a second technical foul and then dropped the final two with the big man sidelined by injury after battling back to tie the series at two apiece. Saturday was an opportunity to prove it is the better side with a clean slate.
The Mavericks wasted no time doing just that by jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and taking a five-point advantage into intermission with Doncic in absolute control.
Luka Doncic is killing the Clippers on switches onto Ivica Zubac. Doncic just buried two shots over Zubac. Ty Lue and Dan Craig gotta switch things up.
Los Angeles had no answers for the two-time All-Star as he drained shots from deep and either scored himself or set up his teammates when he barrelled his way into the lane. Throw in Tim Hardaway Jr. finding his stroke from deep, and Dallas immediately announced itself as a threat.
It was more of the same in the second half as Dallas screened to get Doncic matched up with Ivica Zubac and watched him go to work with off-balance floaters, three-pointers, stepbacks and fadeaways as he unleashed the entire arsenal and forced the Clippers to double him.
Even with Doncic's brilliance, he eventually needed some help with Porzingis shooting an ugly 4-of-13 from the field, and he found it with the outside shooting of Hardaway and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith's three with less than three minutes remaining to answer George's jumper put Dallas ahead for good, and he also assisted on a Porzingis dunk to all but ice it. If multiple members of the supporting cast play well in key moments and Doncic continues to torch the defense, the Clippers will be in trouble.
Late Collapse Costs Clippers Home-Court Advantage
Perhaps no team in the entire NBA was under the spotlight more entering these playoffs than the Clippers after they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets last season and fell short of a much-anticipated Western Conference Finals clash with the Los Angeles Lakers.
That was especially true for George after his struggles in that series, and it was more of the same in the early going Saturday when he went an ugly 1-of-7 from the field in the first half.
Fortunately for the Clippers, Leonard kept them well within striking distance even during George's initial struggles by aggressively attacking the basket on offense and creating multiple turnovers with his trademark stellar defense.
To George's credit, he bounced back in the second half and impacted the game in other ways by battling for offensive boards and finding others, which helped open up some looks as he ventured into the lane.
George's improved play and continued brilliance from Leonard, including a monster slam over Maxi Kleber in transition, helped the Clippers weather multiple Doncic storms and have a chance heading into the fourth.
That appeared to be enough when George connected on multiple triples and Rajon Rondo lived up to his playoff reputation by hitting from the outside and playing impressive defense. Rondo's free throw with just more than six minutes remaining gave L.A. a three-point lead and seemed to set the stage for a critical win.
And then the home team scored a grand total of five points the rest of the way as the Mavericks forced the ball out of Leonard's hands and the entire team went cold at the most inopportune time.
What's Next?
Game 2 of the series is Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Clippers 'Fully Healthy' and 'Ready to Go' Before Game 1 vs. Mavericks, Ty Lue Says
May 22, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 08: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers celebrates a lead with Kawhi Leonard #2 after a tinmeout during the fourth quarter in a 113-103 Clippers win over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on April 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
Ahead of their first game in the 2021 playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers are at full strength.
Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters Saturday his team was "fully healthy" and "ready to go" for Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers seemingly did everything in their power at the end of the regular season to manipulate their seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat out the final two games, and Marcus Morris Sr., Rajon Rondo and Nicolas Batum didn't play in Sunday's finale.
Los Angeles lost those games to the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, the worst two teams in the West, and fell to fourth in the conference.
There was speculation the Clippers were trying to get the No. 4 seed in an effort to stay away from the side of the bracket with the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they'd now face in a potential matchup in the Western Conference Finals.
Lue disputed that notion during a press conference this week.
"I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks on the outside," Lue told reporters Tuesday. "We decided to go health over anything else. We finally got our team healthy, and that is what we focused on."
The Clippers will face the Mavs in a rematch of a first-round series last year. Los Angeles advanced in six games but was eliminated in the second round by the Denver Nuggets after taking a 3-1 lead in that series.
Game 1 between the Mavericks and Clippers will tip off at Staples Center at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Clippers' Paul George Says He Sees 'Big Difference' in His Mindset Now vs. NBA Bubble
May 21, 2021
Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Compared to last year's playoffs, Paul George is a completely different headspace as he readies for the 2020-21 postseason.
The Los Angeles Clippers guard, who told reporters in August that he struggled with his mental health in the NBA's bubble at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, said he is feeling better as he prepares to play the Dallas Mavericks in a first-round series for the second consecutive year.
"I think this year it's been easier because I have outlets," George said Thursday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "You know, I'm able to live a normal life. I can go home, I can see my family, I can spend time with my family, I can interact with other people outside of this team. And so that alone has just been a big difference to be back to some normalcy."
Last summer, he said he was "in a dark place" while competing amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was just a little bit of everything," George said in August. "I underestimated mental health, honestly. I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Just being locked in here. I just wasn't there. I checked out."
His struggle reflected itself on the court, where he hit just 10 of his 47 attempts and missed 21 of 25 three-point attempts across Games 2-4 of last season's first-round series against the Mavericks. He was reborn in Game 5, when he scored 35 points—more than he did in those three games combined.
Getting his mental health in check led to his resurgence on the court. He said he spoke with the team psychiatrist as well as head coach Doc Rivers and relaxed by playing video games with teammate Montrezl Harrell, who dealt with emotional struggles in the bubble following the death of his grandmother in July.
"It's a big difference from the bubble life to where I'm at now from a headspace standpoint," George said Thursday.
Part of what has him ready to go this postseason is that performance in the bubble, where the Clippers won the series against Dallas but fell in the second round to the Denver Nuggets after leading 3-1.
On a Clippers team that saw the departures of Rivers and Harrell, among others, while welcoming in additions including Rajon Rondo and Serge Ibaka, George averaged 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
"[Last year's finish] was the motivation enough needed coming into this season," George said. "I needed to be better and up to this point, it's just being who I am and being who I been."
Clippers' Ty Lue: 'I Don't Give a Damn' What Anyone Thinks About Resting Players
May 19, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 4: Head Coach Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on May 4, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue doesn't want to hear the criticism about his decision to rest his star players heading into the postseason.
"I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks," he told reporters Tuesday. "And I don't listen to [criticism] anyway. We finally got everyone healthy."
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sat the final two games of the regular season, and Patrick Beverley didn't play in the second leg of a back-to-back Friday. The Clippers finished as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and will face the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
George appeared in 54 games, his fewest for a full-length season with the exception of the 2014-15 campaign, when he missed all but the final six games of the year because of a leg fracture he suffered in the offseason.
Leonard was good for 52 appearances, a career low save for his 2017-18 campaign that saw him appear nine in games because of injuries.
Lue told reporters Friday that he thought "the most important thing is health" heading into the postseason. On Sunday, he said he would have his players zero in on conditioning heading into the first-round matchup, hoping to save the Clippers from being on the wrong side of a result because of their health in this postseason.
That was a problem former head coach Doc Rivers pointed out after the team's Game 7 Western Conference Semifinal loss to the Denver Nuggets last season.
The first-year Clippers head coach has caught heat for resting players ahead of the playoffs in the past. In 2016, when he won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he spent the final weeks of the regular season giving his stars some nights off.
In 2017, he was criticized for resting Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love in a nationally televised game, and the Big Three-less Cavaliers paid the price in falling to the Clippers.
Lue will have the last word if his strategy pays off in the series with the Mavericks.
