Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
It’s just a little dirty. It’s still good, it’s still good!
[Passes traffic, jumps a bridge and lands in the water.]
It’s just a little slimy, it’s still good, it’s still good!
[It gets caught in a dam spillway, and when the pressure builds, it shoots into the sky.]
It’s just a little airborne, it’s still good, it’s still good!
That’s from an episode of The Simpsons. Because I look for amusing snippets to keep in perspective the two losses. The Clippers lost four in a row before winning 17. So if they lose another 4 and then win another 17, I’m sure we’ll all be fine with it. So here’s a Last Call, some in perspective, some less so:
Buzzer Reaction
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115 | Recap | Box score |
94 |  |
MVP: David Lee was the linchpin of a fantastic defensive effort, but he also keyed the offense from the high post most of the night. Lee’s sweet touch from 15 feet and phenomenal court vision had the Clippers’ frontcourt flummoxed.
LVP: Blake Griffin. This was Griffin’s worst game this season. He shot 2-for-11, had no offensive rebounds, and was lit up by Lee. Griffin’s wide-open 3-point attempt that hit the side of the backboard summed up his night pretty well.
X factor: Help defense. Give Mark Jackson credit — his team has bought into a help-oriented defensive philosophy. The Warriors allowed no easy layups, they rebounded (plus-15), and they held the Clips to 36 percent shooting. Stephen Curry was great (31 points), but the D was even better.
– D.J. Foster
Tweets of the Game
There is going to be a massive overreaction in the punditry over this game, but the Dubs can strut if they win at Staples.
— Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski) January 3, 2013
Eric Bledsoe Per36 Stat o’ The Night
ClipperBlogLive’s Best Moment
Tonight’s ClipperBlog Live featured an embarrassing display by Fred and DJ at the basketball card game. Also, the gang tries to keep things in perspective as the scheduling is brutal this week. But really, just a sad, sad display in the game.
Check Your Messages
Eric Bledsoe, the Widdoe
Bledsoe’s numbers since former cheerleader, bandwagon-driver and (probably) best friend Charlie Widdoes left for the Knicks and let Eric fly on his own:
· 16.8 minutes per game
· 32.7 percent from the field
· 5.1 points per game
· 2.0 assists per game
· 2.3 turnovers per game
· One broken heart
- Fred Katz
All about the chase
During the Great Win Streak of 2012, the Clippers beat their opponents in points off turnovers seventeen out of seventeen times. They have failed to do this in both the last two games. Since the concept of points off turnovers is, by it’s very nature, a two-way concept, a good place to look for problems in the last two games would be a two-way problem. Alas, we arrive at the chase.
If the Clippers defenders are busy running around like a frantic parent who’ve lost their child at a theme park, they likely won’t have the energy to convert turnovers into points. And it wasn’t as if the Clippers lacked opportunities, forcing twenty Golden State turnovers. However, when considered in the context of the Warriors lights out perimeter game and the generally disorganized defensive rotations, you can see why the Clippers were unable to capitalize. If you spend an entire shot clock chasing guys around the perimeter, you’re going to be tired on the next offensive possession.
- Michael Shagrin
From the mind of Jordan (It’s a messy place)
Criticizing Chris Paul is like criticizing Derek Jeter: it can be done, but only in very small doses. And, don’t get me wrong, I get the meta-game mindset of the True Point Guard. It’s not just this pass in this moment. The True Point Guard knows how many shots each of his court brothers need to Get Involved, to Instill Confidence for Down The Line, Make Shots We Need To Make In May, and so on.
- Jordan Heimer, excerpted from a forthcoming post
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
Let’s say you’re a runner. You just set your new distance record by, say, three extra miles. When you finally stopped, you were exhausted, mentally and physically.
The very next morning, your alarm goes off nice and early, and you know it’s time to run again.
But it’s hard. You know where the bar is now. You know how much energy that consumes. And you just ran all of that distance yesterday, and you’re freaking sore, and you just want to curl up in your bed and sleep.
The Clippers just experienced the NBA equivalent of that. Back-to-back games in Denver and Golden State is formidable for anyone, but combine that with the pressure the streak added and it’s understandable the Clippers came out on auto-pilot after losing it yesterday.
Sure, the Warriors didn’t allow the Clippers’ bigs to have hardly any uncontested buckets at the rim. The speed and tempo wasn’t favorable either. And yes, with the passing up of open shots, the Clippers looked and played vulnerable, and that’s not something you want to be in Oakland. Like, ever.
But fear not. The Clippers have been streaky all year long (take a look at the schedule, it’s hilarious) and they’re still one of the better-suited teams in the league for an 82-game season, hands down.
- D.J. Foster
