The Clippers absolutely choked against the Lakers on Friday, dropping a 125-117 crosstown rivalry game, and you want to know why? Try a mind-boggling 26 turnovers, with Darius Garland accounting for nine of them himself. This wasn’t just a bad night; it was a total meltdown, a drastic increase from the 17 turnovers the team had in their 121-96 season-opening victory over the Sacramento Kings. Coach Lue put it plainly: “We didn’t play smart.”
Turnovers Galore: Clippers Crumbled When it Mattered
Things started off okay, somehow, with the Clippers even leading 31-27 after the first quarter. But even then, the signs were there, with eight turnovers in that period alone. Contrast that with only nine total turnovers allowed in the entire first half against the Kings! The real collapse came in the third quarter against the Lakers. Lue’s team absolutely unraveled, giving up a shocking 10 turnovers and getting outscored 39-26. That’s just unacceptable. The Lakers, naturally, capitalized hard, turning those mistakes into 33 points. Lue knows it too. He said, “We had to be better. They did a couple things, but we got to take care of the basketball. You can’t play against a good team and turn it over 26 times and expect to win the game. We fought, we played hard, but we didn’t play smart.” No kidding.
Thunder Loom: The Toughest Test Yet
Now, the Clippers have zero time to lick their wounds, because Sunday brings their toughest test of the season: the Oklahoma City Thunder. And guess what the Thunder are built on? Generating turnover opportunities. These guys are no joke. They forced 13 turnovers against the San Antonio Spurs in their season opener, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander snatching three steals. Then, against the Denver Nuggets, the Thunder improved to 2-0, with Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace combining for nine steals as they forced the Nuggets into 22 turnovers. The Thunder are turnover machines, plain and simple.
The Clippers better figure out how to hold onto the ball, and fast. Playing against a 2-0 Thunder squad that thrives on forcing mistakes means another performance like Friday’s will be an absolute disaster. This next game is going to show us if they learned anything at all.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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