The LA Clippers have hit hard times at one of the worst parts of the season, succumbing to a 105-99 road defeat on Thursday night as the New Orleans Pelicans outlasted the weary road travelers in The Big Easy.
Playing without Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland, and Bennedict Mathurin, and with John Collins still adhering to an ongoing minute restriction, the Clippers had to rely on guile, grit, and moxy to hang with the Pelicans.
But the lack of bodies came at a price down the stretch.
With 5:53 left, the Clippers held a 94-91 cushion and had Collins at the free-throw line for one shot. But, like so many players for the Clippers on the night, Collins would miss the freebie. What ensued was heartbreaking.
The Pelicans (25-46) would rebound the miss, as well as recover their own missed shot on the other end, and New Orleans would go on a 14-3 run over the next five minutes to put the Clippers away.
“I thought we scrapped,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said of his team’s effort postgame.