Clippers: Coach Ty Lue Necessitates Team’s Dire Need After Late Comeback Win vs Rockets

The Los Angeles Clippers recently faced off against the Houston Rockets. The former team was looking to maintain their yet unbeatable streak, while the latter were looking to create some momentum and move up from their position as the 12 seed. At the start, the Rockets seemed to be having the upper hand after taking a 27-19 lead against the rivals. With players like Alperen Sengun, Cam Whitmore, Aaron Holiday, and Amen Thompson taking the charge, the Rockets had a 57-44 lead by halftime. In the end, however, the Clippers took charge and pulled off a great offensive front through Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden. The game concluded with the LA team winning by a score of 122-116.

During the post-game press conference, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue highlighted his team’s delay in taking the lead. Looking to improve the next few games, he laid out a strategy for the next time his players would choose to opt for a ‘pick-and-roll’.

“Let’s get into it with 17-18 on the clock and not 11-12” said Lue. “When we’re under 12, we become one of the worst offenses in the league if we don’t get into our stuff fast enough. When we do it 12 seconds or faster, we’re top 3. It’s a huge difference. 29th in the league and then 3rd. That’s a big discrepancy. We gotta understand let’s get into our stuff quicker”.

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James Harden, who scored 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists during the game, received praise from Tyronn Lue for handling the ‘pick and roll’ during the second half. While the coach did not have much complaints with what occurred after halftime, he continued to maintain that the need to have a lead from the start is essential.

Under Tyronn Lue’s watch, James Harden and Ivica Zubac have flourished with their ‘pick and roll’

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently listed as the 4 seed on the Western Conference Points table. While much of the same can be attributed to Tyronn Lue’s new ways in leading his team, another factor that has worked towards the team’s success is the scoring prowess developed by James Harden.

During the early stages of the ongoing NBA season, the 34-year-old new addition to the Clippers had been reportedly seen working alongside teammate Ivica Zubac to work on the ‘pick-and-roll’ strategy. Whatever they cooked up eventually worked in the Clippers favour as a whole. Even though the team reportedly had the league’s 24th-most efficient offense, the same started to improve game after game until their offense became one of the best by January. The Clippers’ ‘pick-and-roll’ reportedly became one of the LA team’s most formidable weapon, providing not only a way for Zubac and Harden to score, but also a way to ensure that the team is covered on one part if Kawhi Leonard and/or Paul George were benched.

With a few more games left before the playoffs, fans will have to wait and see whether Tyronn Lue’s players will heed their coach’s advice and manage to get into their “stuff quicker”.