Utah 109 - Clippers 99 - A Fourth Quarter to Forget
by Steve Perrin on Feb 10, 2010 12:51 AM PST
in Game Recaps
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PrintThe Clippers were well-positioned to give new head coach Kim Hughes his first win of the season heading into the fourth quarter against the red-hot Utah Jazz. They were ahead by four and playing a pretty solid game on both ends of the floor. They were +8 on rebounding, and had committed relatively few turnovers (eleven through the first three quarters). In the fourth quarter, all the things they had been doing right they did wrong, and in addition to that, they fell victim to some unlikely Jazz heroes as well. The Jazz ended up winning the fourth 29-15, and the game 109-99. It was Utah's ninth straight win and the Clippers' third straight loss, and it dropped Hughes to 0-2 as the head guy.
Among the more bizarre happenings of the fourth quarter:
- Ronnie Price, who was 8 for 27 shooting three pointers coming into the game, made two consecutive long threes to give the Jazz their first leads since the first half. Both shots came deep in the shot clock after the Clippers had played solid defense for the possession, and neither shot was easy.
- Price and Wes Matthews were Utah's leading scorers in the quarter, scoring 8 points a piece, outscoring the Clippers all by themselves. They made six out of seven shots in the quarter. And if you're saying to yourself "Price and Matthews? Who?" you're not alone.
So what does that all add up to? Was Utah simply too much for the Clippers in the fourth quarter? Hardly. You can't really credit Utah's defense for holding the Clippers to 50% from the line (though Sloan does pride himself on his teams' FT defense over the years), nor for forcing Baron to miss a layup. As for the rebounding, do you single out Utah for wanting the ball more, or the Clippers for not wanting it enough? Because let's face facts, rebounding is about desire. And that right there is more than enough to account for the final margin of victory.
For several seasons when the Clippers have lost focus in the fourth quarter, the tendency has been to blame the coach. Well, to paraphrase Richard Nixon, we don't have MDsr to kick around anymore. Great players are at their best when the game is on the line. But there are few on the Clippers team that one would describe as clutch.
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"But there are few on the Clippers team that one would describe as clutch."
Agreed with that.
I’m not sure we have ONE clutch player.
Our team pretty much is comprised of mentally and physically weak minded chumps, with Baron Davis being the ringleader. The guy has never won anywhere, except for one lucky season in Golden State.
And he’s here another three years? Fantastic.
If you put 35-year-old Sam Cassell on this team, and took off Baron Davis, we would be in the playoffs.
I've got nothing.
"If you put 35-year-old Sam Cassell on this team, and took off Baron Davis, we would be in the playoffs."
That statement is completely ridiculous.
Madglove's right, that is a ridiculous statement
Maybe a 30 year old Cassell but definitely not the 35 year old version we had. To expect Cassell to help us win 10 more games replacing Baron is ridiculous. Baron’s actually having a better year PER wise than Sam ever did, heck Baron might possibly have the best PER we’ve ever gotten from a Clipper PG.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cassesa01.html
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Feb 10, 2010 3:59 AM PST up reply actions
Nevermind
I was wrong, Sam’s per was slightly better that year (18.5 to Baron’s 18.1 this year). That said to say that Sam would make us 30-21 instead of 21-30 is still ridiculous.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Feb 10, 2010 4:08 AM PST up reply actions
I guess you told me!
Whoops, maybe not.
Anyway, I don’t care about stats in this situation. Players like Derek Fisher wouldn’t even be in the league if you judged everything by stats.
There are people that are just born leaders and winners.
Baron Davis isn’t that guy.
I've got nothing.
Derek Fisher is the wrong player to use as an example
the worst PER player of all time, he made 2 of the 10 wide open shot, the team would have easily won.
I don’t care about stats. I just look into their eyes, nay into their soul! I can see that he is not a champion. Sam was born a winner, Baron was born a loser. We need to sign people who were born winners, not people born losers. Kaman also a loser. The only guy who is a winner is Mardy Collins. He has the heart of a champion, I see it in those eyes, he has the eye of the tiger.
by Michael White on Feb 10, 2010 8:24 AM PST up reply actions
Reminds me of G Bush - "Putin's a good guy, I can see it in his eyes"
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
It's a shame Mardy doesn't have the ability to go along with his Eye of the Tiger.
What do you see in EJ? Born winner or loser?
I’m not sure yet, but I don’t see Eye of the Tiger in him either.
I’ve said since day one, he disappears when the Clips need him to step up.
He’s still young though, so I’ll give him a chance
by Newton Pham on Feb 10, 2010 11:29 AM PST up reply actions
FYI, my entire post was sarcasm.
I’m not big on the looking into the soul analysis.
by Michael White on Feb 10, 2010 11:38 AM PST up reply actions
I got it...
In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. - Elwood P. Dowd
by Steve Perrin on Feb 10, 2010 1:41 PM PST up reply actions
I like to judge by their force. I learnt this from star wars
by Sam50 on Feb 10, 2010 3:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Haha people who actually think Sam was better than baron are an absolute joke. I think some people are a tad blind by their clipper love
by Sam50 on Feb 10, 2010 3:33 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Sam as assistant coach
I liked Sam as player, it was not a co-incient that Clippers was successful and made the post season five seasons ago,
by Pats fan in CA on Feb 10, 2010 1:27 PM PST up reply actions
No one in the team that’s clutch? You are an idiot
by Sam50 on Feb 10, 2010 12:31 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
A lot of positives
I thought there were quite a few positives in this game. First of all, for 3 quarters, the team pushed the pace, and was effective at it. The improvement in the fast break offense was noticeable after just a few days. Of course there were still some rough edges, like the time Kaman essentially stopped Baron’s break by running into him, or the handful of times EJ chose to jog up the court instead of filling a lane, but overall, I thought the team looked MUCH improved in their offense tonight. They pushed the pace better than I’ve seen in a Clipper team in quite a while.
It’s strange to be really upset about a loss against a red hot Utah team. Especially after that debacle vs. San Antonio. Just look at Steve’s quotes from the game preview:
No one expected the Clippers to beat the Spurs, and few will expect them to beat the Jazz – but we should at least expect them to play competitive, competent basketball.
I hope I’m wrong, but I have a feeling that this one will be over early, just like the Spurs game.
Yet the team was indeed competitive and mostly competent and it certainly wasn’t over early.
The reality is that the rest of this season IS about moral victories and setting the team up for next season. If the team can put together an amazing run that somehow puts them in the playoffs, great. But to expect that after the disappointing 1st half we had is unrealistic. As I’ve said in other threads, step 1 was to get rid of Dunleavy, step 2 is to install a new regime. Just getting rid of Dunleavy as coach wasn’t going to solve everything. The physical therapy to recover from surgery is just as important as the surgery itself.
There were some bad things about this game of course. Kaman got owned, EJ put up ok numbers but was mostly invisible, and Baron seemed to have a bad play for every good play. But overall, I was actually encouraged.
Now we’ll see in the next 5 games if tonight was an improvement or whether it was just inconsistency. If we look disinterested and bored tomorrow and get blown out, I take back everything. haha
But I’m calling a W against the Warriors.
That's pretty much how I feel
It’s hard for me to be too upset about the outcome of this game. The team played better. The team played much better in fact. Utah is a really good team, and in the end they got the better of the Clips. But as madglove says, wins and losses don’t really matter at this point, and the improvement from game 1 of the Hughes era to game 2 was pretty strong in my opinion.
I’m more interested to know why Rasual Butler didn’t play in the 4th quarter. I don’t like Mardy Collins in general, but I don’t have a huge problem getting him reps earlier in the game. But using him in the 4th instead of Rasual Butler didn’t make sense. Was Butler injured and I just missed it? When the lead is extended to 8, it’s probably not a bad idea to shoot baskets that earn 3 points instead of 2, and Butler has the most of those on the team. In fact, he was shooting very well last night.
As Steve said, there is no Dunleavy to kick around anymore. One of the things that pissed me off about CMDsr was his odd substitutions. If Butler was not injured in the 4th, I don’t see the decision to have Mardy Collins on the floor instead of Butler to be particularly defensible.
by Michael White on Feb 10, 2010 7:53 AM PST up reply actions
I agree as well - nice posts
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Agree on the Collins sub
It wasn’t just Butler. First, Hughes took Baron out at a crucial point in the 4th for a few worthless minutes. They had Collins running the point for no reason. It made no sense. Then Baron comes back in, but now Butler is on the bench in favor of Collins. That was a point where we really needed a 3 pt threat to stay in the game.
Even Mike Smith said “Where’s Rasual?” It was strange that Hughes went with Collins there (even though Collins did some good things). The loss wasn’t on Collins though. The team played horrible interior defense all night long and Baron’s blown layup after the Collins steal was just inexcusable. Baron had one line on his twitter last night saying this loss was on him.
Baron was out
because he had 5 fouls but came back with just under 5 minutes left because we were trailing.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Feb 10, 2010 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
Yea I know but
You can’t take Baron out there. You’re losing and the game is getting away. You have to let Baron play through that. Hughes must have realized this because Baron came back like two plays later. That 2 minutes didn’t do anything.
Anyway, it’s not a huge deal. Hughes is going to make mistakes. It’s growing pains you get from a guy who’s never been the head coach.
I don’t think Hughes will be the head coach next year anyway.
In summation
Same result – CMDSr = its ok.
The team has been competitive through three plenty of times this year and yet I don’t remember this rampant optimism.
Don’t the Clippers need to beat the W’s by about 35 for it to actually be an improvement?
Coaches don't matter. - Bill Simmons, The Book of Basketball
by John R on Feb 10, 2010 8:15 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I think what they are talking about is how the team actually looked on the floor
Baby steps, my man, baby steps
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Improvement vs. Inconsistency
If you note the last part of my comment, that’s why I said that if the team gets blown out tonight or is just up and down the next 5 or so games, I take back everything.
Yea Dun’s teams were competitive plenty of times, horrible other times and good some other times. To me, their inconsistent play showed that they had tuned him out completely and he wasn’t getting through to them. And he simply didn’t have enough other virtues to warrant keeping him when he isn’t getting through to the team. Dun expressed that as one of the major reasons he “stepped down.” The team needed a new voice. Hughes has said that the team wasn’t remembering his plays (ie not listening, not caring).
We have two games to judge Hughes. To me, in those two games I saw a ton of improvement. That’s why “it’s ok.” If they play similarly inconsistent the rest of the season, then he certainly isn’t doing any better.
But as I’ve made pretty clear, removing Dun was only step 1. They obviously need a new coach who is better than Dun. I clearly won’t be happy if they fired Dun only to bring in someone like Isaiah Thomas. Step 2 is even more important.
I agree
And for the record, I’ve been saying for years that the Clippers need to restructure management from the top down.
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
It doesn't take a genius to see that the Clippers need new upper management...
Unfortunately, we’re stuck with DTS and his business cronies for the time being, They are a hindrance to the team’s success, but we have to look at ways to win despite that. Sometime in the far future, this team will be out of the specter of the worst ownership/front office in all of sports, but this isn’t that time.
by WestsideBrandon on Feb 10, 2010 12:06 PM PST up reply actions
True, but things can change when you least expect them to
MDSr’s exit, for example
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
By the way
I continue to see the current situation as a potential opportunity to make a big splash in the free agent signings this summer. But to really have a shot they need to replace upper management and make it obvious that DTS will not interfere.
Maybe that’s not a realistic proposition . . .
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
I thought they played pretty well. I saw a few things I virtually never
saw under Dunleavy. The floor, in general, was spaced much better. It was like watching a real NBA team. They ran when appropriate, but still have more learning to do and there’s room for (much) improvement.
And, by the way, I agree with bc, it seems for every good play Baron makes he makes up for it with a gad one.
Did not see this game but damn that was one sick collapse
One thing of notice Kaman played 41 mins on another poor night. I swear I thought this All-Star bid was suppose to make things better and he shot poorly with 6 TO’s. WE need a new number one option it’s time toforce it with Eric. Again DJ isn’t playing. Hughes is messing up
If you want to put in perspective if the players don't have any heart Dunleavy brought every one of these players in
That is why Dunleavy had most of the blame if the play caling was stale or predictable it was his fault as a coach if the players here a dumb and can’t play together it’s his fault as GM becasue he created this roster from top to bottom with Sterling having a open wallet.
But I thought everyone wanted to keep him as GM,
because he’s smarter than all us fans and all.
This team is pathetic down the stretch
How the f**k does a professional team fall apart like that, every time, like clockwork. 26 points in the first, 30 in the second, 28 in the third……..15 in the fourth. Even in our win against the Bull the Clips managed to throw up only 12 4th quarter points.
And man what was the deal with Kaman playing nearly the entire game? DJ didn’t see one minute. And not exactly sure why Al didn’t get more burn tonight. He was playing well racking up assists and grabbing offensive rebounds.
by dulciusEXasperis on Feb 10, 2010 7:59 AM PST reply actions
If someone justs tooks at the tapes of the losses of the Clippers through out the year there is one common demoninator and that is coaching and substitutions process.Last night the Clippers had Utah on the hook in the 3rd quarter and out came Gordon, then Davis the balance of the defense.Gordons minutes from last year are down 5 minutes per game.Look at how many leads the Clippers have blown when the bench comes in and all the work getting the lead that the starters have done are gone.
Hughes is a clone of the failed Donleavy coaching system
of playing chess with the other coaches never going for the knockup blow, Kaman still does not pass the ball timely when doubled and tripled teamed.His last two games are a joke. If he is an all-star than Boozer is a superstar.When does this team set picks for Gordon And Davis.If Larry Brown was the coach of The Clippers they would be in contention to be a stong playoff team.The demise of the Clippers this year. is when they blew the Memhis game when they had a thirteen point lead in the 4th quarter.I will never go to another Clipper game to pay to see players that I want to see like Gordon, play less than 3 quarters of the Game.
Five years Hughes was Donleavy’s assistent so he does not know better.Read red Auerbach’s book on coaching play your best players and rest them when the game is over.
You're right they'd be better with Larry Brown (or another proven good coach)
But they don’t have that luxury at this point. I saw some improvement in the first three quarters. We are just going to have to give them time. Besides, Hughes is an interim coach. Let’s see how it plays out. It’s been two games.
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED
whenever the clips have the lead, it’s HOLD YOUR BREATH time…i just wait for that “magical moment” when i falls apart…the atlanta game and this game had kaman making really dumb turnovers and then everything good thing that was accomplished was “thrown away”(excuse the pun)…and how does baron “mr. virtuoso” davis square away a blown lay up…cant he get up and dunk anymore?…as usual, the clips stopped doing what got them the lead and talk about lack of defense…the jazz were running a lay up drill for most of the game….doesnt matter who the coach is.
Get over the 4th quarter hump
This was a much better game to watch compared to the Spurs’ game. Offensively they came out and played well for 3 quarters, maybe with the couple of practices in they’ve finally gotten a better grasp of what to do in the new system. Their interior defense and rotation is still bad, especially defensive rebounds.
A few points I wanted to make.
1. A lot of times as soon as a shot was taken by Utah I see 3 Clippers already running the other way. The problem is with Camby usually jumping and contesting shots and Kamen with his slow reaction time, that’s two Clippers out of position to get defensive rebounds while everyone else is running to the other side already. That creates a easy offensive rebound and buck for the Jazz. I understand the desire to run, but you’ve got the secure the defensive rebound first!
2. Kamen also was playing for most of the 2nd half which I think contributed to him tiring and even more hesitant with the ball. Against Boozer he’s pretty much helpless because of Boozer’s strength and quick hands, add that with the double team and its pretty mcuh game over. I actually agree with not putting DJ in for this game. DJ is so intent on the highlight reel block that he usually is out of position defensively, and with Utah’s interior passing they would of had a field day with DJ in there. But at least play Skinner for a bit to spell Kamen, he’s a good rebounder and decent defender.
4. The Clippers have to get away from the Kamen low post game in the 4th quarter vs quick and athletic teams that will double team him. Kamen’s slow reaction time and hesitation(plus fatigue) does not match up well vs Utah’s quick defense. I think it’s a bad habit they developed from the MDSr era. While it is effective vs some teams, I don’t think it works with Utah. Everyone just spreads out and watches Kamen fumble the ball away or settle for a jump shot. I like Kamen but I don’t think you can ride him for 40 mins and expect him to make big shots down the line. He’s still new to the role of the 1st offensive option and not ready for the pressure.
5. Last point. I thought it was VERY telling in the forth quarter when Utah started making the run. At one point right after a Utah bucket the camera panned to EJ showing him shaking his head, as if he’s saying “here we go again”. It’s a mental block they’ll have to somehow get over
Run Prevention
Thought a crucial point in the game was when we were up 11 in the 3rd. EJ, satisfied in his teams nice lead, happily dribbles the ball up and takes a three without much thought put into it. Of course, it misses and Utah gets the rebound into a fast break which lead to a run. That was the move of the game.
The run also featured another “whatever” 3 by Baron. When we’re up against a team like the Jazz, maybe trying to run plays and going for higher percentage thoughts is the way to go. Just a thought.
Defense 101
If you keep an eye on Clippers on defense end, most of time the guys arms were down, how do you play defense/get rebound effectively if your arms are down?
It seemed to me the Clippers played only 4 guys against 5 Jazz, one always wide open.
I really like the idea of making Baron Player/Coach
We dont have much to lose, post all star break, just do it, and see how it goes. Would have been better last season to trial, but just til the end of the season. Having the coach on the floor in the 4th quarter would be amazing.
by green eyed supporter on Feb 10, 2010 3:21 PM PST reply actions
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