Winning streak ends as Clippers falter in Cleveland
The Clippers had to lose again at some point. Why not to the other hottest team in the league?
Nights like Monday serve as a reminder of why winning streaks are hard to establish and even harder to maintain.
The LA Clippers came into Cleveland riding a five-game winning streak and had won 22 of their last 26 games. It was a superhuman run featuring ridiculous shot-making, stout defense, and fantastic resiliency in the face of great adversity.
That ended at the hands of a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had been the NBA’s second-best team since Dec. 15, just a notch behind the Clippers themselves.
Behind a strong offensive showing from guard Donovan Mitchell and a relentless attack on the offensive glass, as well as some L.A. turnovers, the Cavaliers defeated the Clippers, 118-108.
After the game, there was some talk about Paul George’s status going forward considering the left groin strain that the 8-time All-Star has been fighting through.
“He’s doing OK, pushing through [and] playing the way he has, and we appreciate that,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters in Cleveland.
“We need everybody we can get because he’s still dangerous on the floor. So, just monitoring just to see how he feels and making sure he stays on his [minutes] restriction, but he’s fighting through something and playing. We need him on the floor if he can be out there. And if not, then we understand. We appreciate him being on the floor fighting through what he’s going through.”
George played 27 minutes, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists before fouling out for the third time this season.
Following the game, George told The Athletic’s Law Murray that he’s “just trying to get to the finish line” as he plays through the ailment.
Kawhi Leonard finished with a game-high 30 points on 13-for-25 shooting as well as eight rebounds and three assists in his 37 minutes.
Outside of an early second-quarter run, the Clippers (30-15) looked out of sorts for much of the evening, and even going small late in the game couldn’t save them.
Trailing by 12 with just over eight minutes to play, Lue opted to roll out a five-out lineup featuring George, Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, and Amir Coffey. It brought the Clippers back within striking distance but couldn’t get over the hump.
“We got down, I think, 12 and so I wanted to go small to change the game up,” Lue said postgame. “Probably was a little too late.”
Harden finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds but also three turnovers in 39 minutes; Mason Plumlee started once again and tallied five points and five rebounds; and Terance Mann had five points in 19 minutes.
The bench group had its moments.
Russell Westbrook scored 13 points but did have four turnovers while Norman Powell added 18 points, including five in the fourth, but did miss two free throws in the frame as the Clippers shot 2-for-7 from the charity stripe in the fourth.
Amir Coffey was a trusted weapon for Lue on the night, logging 27 minutes while finishing with 13 points.
“I’m really just happy and proud of Amir, just continuing to stay with it,” said Lue after the game.
Lue continued: “[I] talked about the last couple years of not getting a chance and [an] opportunity, but the way he’s played this year, we gave him an opportunity and he’s been phenomenal. I’m just happy for all the work he’s put in, it’s paying off. Great defensively, making shots, driving closeouts. He’s playing very well. Our guys trust him on the floor and that’s good to see. And he’s getting more and more confidence as the games come along. Just very happy for Amir and the work that [Jeremy Castleberry]’s put in with him over these last few years of just keeping him ready, keeping him engaged, and like you said, he’s playing phenomenal.”
Since being inserted into the rotation on Dec. 14, Coffey is averaging 21.7 minutes per game, seventh-most on the team and more than Westbrook’s 20.9. Coffey’s averaging 6.9 points and 2.1 rebounds during that time while shooting 57 percent from the field and 41.8 percent on 3s.
When asked postgame what he’s seen out of Coffey in recent weeks, Paul George gave all the credit to Coffey’s work ethic.
“I think Amir’s done it to himself,” George said. “We can’t [take] credit for how well Amir’s been playing. Amir has worked his ass off and has found his rhythm, found his game, and it compliments all of us. I think it’s a lot to say about him [and] his readiness more so than us.”
The Clippers shot 47.5 percent from the field overall but experienced their third-straight subpar 3-point game, finishing the night by going only 11-for-34 from deep. Over this road trip so far, the Clippers have made 30 of their 106 triple tries (28.3 percent).
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 28 points and 12 assists as the Cavaliers are now 15-4 since Dec. 15 and are undefeated at home in January.
Seven different Cavaliers scored in double-figures, and center Jarrett Allen notched his 15th consecutive double-double by ending the night with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
The Clippers continue their Grammy Trip on Wednesday in the nation’s capital where they’ll play the Washington Wizards, the team that presently possesses the second-worst record in the league. The Wizards have not won a home game since Dec. 29.
It might be the magic elixir that allows the Clippers to start another winning streak.