The sun was brighter in Denver, while it was cold and uncomfortable in LA. Entering Ball Arena after Sunday’s Game 4 defeat, Ty Lou came with a belief. Pinning down the Nuggets again should’ve been easy, right? But it wasn’t. With Nikola Jokic taking a backseat despite a triple-double, it was Jamal Murray who sparked. A 43-point game from the Canadian was the last thing the Clippers would’ve liked. Thus, LA ended the game with a 16-point deficit in a 115-131 loss, falling behind 2-3 in the series.

Appearing before the media after the defeat in Game 5, the LA Clippers head coach Ty Lue didn’t look happy. How could he? Everything now comes down to the sixth game on Thursday. Such results and setbacks demand a change, don’t they?

“I mean, we’ve got to respond.” The hunger and desperation were visible in those eyes as the series now hangs in the balance for them. But morale? Well, he is still sticking to the positives from the 3rd game, and how everything is possible when you hit the court. “We blew them out in Game 3, and they came back and responded in Game 4, so we’ve got to do the same thing,” Ty Lue responded to the reporters.

In the third game of the Playoff series, the LA Clippers demolished the Denver Nuggets 117-83, only to suffer a close 99-101 defeat in Game 4. That’s the kind of comeback Coach Lue is looking forward to on Thursday. Responding to the demand and necessities of change, the Coach responded, “I don’t know what changes you can make,” Lue also admitted. “They made shots. Like I said, making 17 threes, and they blew us out. We made 18 threes, and we blew them out.”

The Nuggets have led offensively with 120.8 points per game compared to the Clippers’ 112.9 this season. They have also had the edge in rebounds (45.7 vs. 43.8) and have significantly outperformed in assists (31.0 vs. 25.2), reflecting a more team-oriented style of play. Turnovers have remained nearly even, with the Clippers having averaged 13.8 and the Nuggets 13.6 per game. On the defensive end, the Clippers have allowed fewer points at 108.2 per game, while the Nuggets have conceded 116.9, indicating that LA has shown a stronger defensive presence despite Denver’s superior offensive output.

Now, adding a piece of his observation, Ty Lue noted: “The three-point line is going to be the most important thing. We’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of that, which we didn’t do a good job with tonight. But like I said, going back home in two, it’ll be rocking. We’ll be fine.” 

Ty Lue’s emphasis on defending the 3-point line comes after Murray’s 8-of-14 perfection on Tuesday. He acknowledged that his team failed to do so effectively in their recent game. And how will the comeback look? The coach stressed, “Like I said, protect the three-point line, do a better job with that, whoever wins the three-point battle has won the games. And then just starting with that defensive mindset to start the game, we can’t let them get out early and keep playing catch-up and playing from behind, that’s what we’ve been doing the last three games.”

Losing out 23-35 in the first quarter does add to the pressure, and the Clippers will be all out to fix this to stay in the postseason. But can they? Despite the setback, Lue remains confident, looking ahead to the next game at Intuit Dome, where he believes the team’s energy and performance will bounce back with support from the home crowd.

Now, Kawhi Leonard, who had a 20-point night vs. the Nuggets, has a message for the Clippers locker room. It’s time for the team to listen to the veteran, as experience is always the loudest in a room.

After Ty Lue’s concerning confession, Kawhi Leonard makes locker room plea

While Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook lit up the backcourt, Ty Lue’s star, James Harden, fizzled out for the Clippers. With just 3-of-9 shooting, 11 points, and a team-high 4 turnovers, his 8 rebounds and 5 assists couldn’t mask the struggles. For an 11-time All-Star, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Meanwhile, the 33-year-old veteran forward, Kawhi Leonard, tried to hold the reins with his 20 points alongside Ivica Zubac’s 27 points.

Speaking to the media after the game, the Klaw made an important locker room plea. Throughout the game, it looked like the Nuggets made it their sole motive to guard Leonard and Harden. So, are the players doing anything about the situation, or simply making more plays for Zu and other guys? “Got to play the game. They knocked down—our teammates knocked down shots tonight. We just weren’t able to defend,” Kawhi expressed. “We’ve got to keep playing the same way. If we want to keep going, everybody has to contribute, which they are doing. And yeah, just keep playing the same game.”

Kawhi Leonard reflected on his team’s performance, noting that while his teammates knocked down shots, they struggled defensively. He emphasized the need to stick to their game plan and believed that continued contribution from everyone was essential to keep progressing. But how? “Just trying to get off to a better start early, I think, pretty much the whole series, they probably got out to the very start. So just trying to stay in the game early instead of trying to make the heroic comebacks.” The message is clear for the teammates: wake up early, on the court. The Nuggets have never been an easy rival for the Clippers. In the 2024-25 Regular season, they clashed four times and ended with a 2-2 record.

Now the lights shift to Thursday, where legends rise—or fall. The Clippers have no room left for errors, no cushion for cold spells. With Ty Lue’s belief and Kawhi’s quiet command, LA must turn noise into numbers. Because if they want to stay alive, talk won’t cut it—only total execution will.