Two locker rooms, two atmospheres… If the Lakers (0v-4d) seek to play down their failed start to the season as much as possible, on the side of the Clippers (2v-3d), we are already sounding the alarm. To start with Paul George. Sick for several days, he timidly resumed this night at OKC, but he doesn’t like what he sees.
“There is clearly an emergency now” loose the All-Star rear winger. “It’s not a worrying emergency, but there is urgency in the need to adopt good habits. We are not going to be perfect, there will always be something we can improve every night, but the urgency is to start already… We cannot make the same mistakes night after night, we have to start building the team we want to be and start assembling that team now. »
In the viewfinder, two sectors: stray bullets (20 tonight) and defense. In short, you have to be careful with the ball, and above all make the effort in defense. Tonight, the Thunder scored 31 points on stray balls from the Clippers, but also 21 points on offensive rebounds. These are 52 points directly related to avoidable errors.
“We have to play smarter” believes Ivica Zubac, the best Clipper since the start of the season. “We have to limit our stray balls, we have to do better on the rebound, on delay screens, on rotations in defense… It doesn’t matter who is absent, we have to come here to win. »
“Given all the shit that is linked, it is difficult to see. It’s just complicated to know where we are…”
The Clippers have clearly missed the boat because his two trips to OKC should have allowed the team to work, reassure themselves, and climb to the first time in the Western Conference. Here they are with a negative balance (2v-3d).
“We need to fix this quickly” warns Reggie Jackson. “I think there’s beauty in that, it’s that we’re older and that with several seasons on the clock, we know we have time ahead of us, and that there’s no no need to panic. But it is urgent for us to set foot on the mushroom. »
In the end, what does Tyronn Lue retain from this first week? ” With all the shit going on, it’s hard to see. It’s just complicated to know where we are…”
