Clippers get quick reminder that expectations are different in NBA playoffs

DENVER — The LA Clippers fully ran by means of the tape on a daily season that few outdoors the partitions of Intuit Dome thought would quantity to something. To keep away from the Play-In Event, the Clippers needed to flip up the depth and urgency to go together with their veteran expertise.

They did simply that, profitable 18 of their final 21 video games, together with their ultimate eight. The Clippers, by beating the Golden State Warriors in extra time at Chase Heart, earned the 5 days off that include clinching a top-six seed.

“Considering how y’all counted out us out, said that we were only going to get 30 wins?” Norman Powell stated indiscriminately from the guests’ locker room in San Francisco.

It’s all an exquisite story that this Clippers staff triumphantly beat by means of these low expectations to be one in every of 5 groups within the Western Convention to retain a playoff spot from 2024. And everybody concerned, from the celebrities to the coaches to the oldest gamers, understood the chance in entrance of them granted by the work that’s partly behind them.

“Another opportunity to reach the goal, the ultimate goal,” James Harden, 35, stated in follow this week. “You don’t really take it for granted, you know what I mean? A lot of guys don’t get an opportunity to make the playoffs. So, for me, I don’t ever take it for granted. Each game, each possession is different. Each series is different. So you just take it one game at a time, and literally like I just said, don’t get too high, don’t get too low. But another opportunity for me to do something special.”

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue senses the chance, too.

“All the stuff we had going on this season: Norm missing (22) games, Kawhi (Leonard) being out almost 50 games, and to be able to hold it down and get to this point where we’re the fifth seed, it says a lot about our team, about our character,” Lue stated. “I’m happy for these guys. To put in the work every single day, even when you had aches and pains like James and Zu (Ivica Zubac) had, and still play through them to get here. It’s big for our fans, it’s big for our organization. Big for our players. So going to the playoffs, it always means something because you got a chance to win a championship.”

Nikola Jokić leads the Nuggets in an exhilarating Sport 1 victory!

29 PTS
12 AST
9 REB
3 STL

Denver takes a 1-0 sequence lead pic.twitter.com/OyoNvAxsz1

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025

“I was just happy that I was able to get here, and our teammates did a great job down that last stretch,” stated Leonard, the 33-year-old two-time Finals MVP who has had the top of the final 4 seasons and the start of this season ruined by his troublesome proper knee. “Just don’t take the opportunity for granted and try to play my best, and that’s it. Just having fun.”

Now, the phrase “possession” goes to stay with the Clippers for a minimum of 48 hours. The Clippers went to Denver and had a 15-point lead with 5:11 left to play within the first half Saturday. You may say that they had possession of the sport. After which, the Clippers slowly misplaced that grip, ending with 20 turnovers and permitting 12 offensive rebounds in a 112-110 extra time loss in Sport 1.

Leonard had a game-high seven turnovers, tying a postseason profession worst. No turnover was extra damning and demanding than his giveaway in entrance of the Clippers bench with 33.5 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter. Denver level guard Jamal Murray was alone guarding Leonard when Murray deflected the ball off of Leonard, costing the Clippers possession, a problem, a timeout and the lead after being up 96-95.

“He hit the ball,” Leonard stated after the sport. “It went off of me. It went out.”

It led to a second that Denver followers will certainly bear in mind, as Nikola Jokic went to wrestle the misplaced ball away from Clippers lead assistant Jeff Van Gundy and longtime athletic coach Jasen Powell, very like Jokic did with Phoenix Suns proprietor Mat Ishbia two postseasons in the past.

“We just got to be decisive, get more in attack-mode situations,” stated Leonard, who hadn’t performed a recreation in Denver since November 2023. “That’s it, really. A lot of the turnovers, we caused. That’s all you can do.”

When this week of preparation began for the Clippers, heart Zubac was requested whether or not the 2020 semifinals meant something now. That’s the sequence wherein the Clippers led 3-1 after which led by double digits in every of the ultimate three video games with an opportunity to clinch the franchise’s first look within the convention finals, however they failed to carry any of the leads.

“No,” Zubac responded. “I’m a way different player now, and all the experience I got now, it’s going to be a lot different on both sides.”

A part of the rationale why exterior expectations for the Clippers are chronically depressed is due to disappointing moments that overshadow accomplishments. No, 2020 doesn’t matter for this sequence in 2025, however the Clippers must bury that sequence with how they carry out on this one. Zubac is appropriate — he’s a special and higher participant. He’s the longest-tenured Clipper, which implies he has seen his share of spring letdowns.

However this was a Clippers staff that took significantly better care of the basketball down the stretch. They had been the highest defensive rebounding staff within the NBA. Denver hadn’t compelled 20 turnovers in a recreation since March 17, and that Nuggets win at Golden State was the one time the Nuggets compelled 20 turnovers in a recreation since Nov. 20.

The Clippers consider their first loss in 20 days was self-inflicted wounds. The Clippers knew the sport plan was to go to the paint, the place that they had a 34-16 benefit by means of the sport’s first 19 minutes. For the remainder of the sport, the Clippers had been outscored 40-26 within the paint.

“I’m trying to figure it out, too,” Harden stated when requested about what might have induced the errors, since he believed it was extra in regards to the Clippers than the Nuggets’ protection. “Like, literally, trying to figure out what the hell was the reason for it. So we’ll watch film, get better and be ready for Game 2.”

Sport 1 ought to function a wake-up name for the Clippers. They’re not the overachieving staff that stormed their approach into the playoffs. The eye to element and urgency that the Clippers needed to finish the common season have to be regenerated for the playoffs. It’s one thing that shouldn’t weigh on the Clippers — in any case, it’s basketball. It’s presupposed to be enjoyable, particularly for the very best gamers on the planet who’ve already skilled satisfying ranges of success this season.

But when the Clippers really feel like this can be a critical staff that may reap the benefits of a particular alternative, then this will probably be their worst recreation of the sequence when it comes to giving the ball away, not to mention giving freely a giant lead. That is the fourth time in a row that the Clippers performed the Nuggets in a playoff recreation and misplaced regardless of main by double digits.

The common season is over. It was a powerful success for the Clippers. They’ve graduated. Now it’s as much as the Clippers to outline who they will be within the postseason. They’re worthy of upper expectations. It’s time for them to play accordingly.

“We’re in good shape,” Lue stated after Sport 1. “We just got to do what we’re supposed to do. Take care of the basketball, keep them off the glass, and then we’ll be fine. But if you turn it over 20 times against the team that is No. 1 in offensive transition, then you’re going to lose the game. So we understand that, we just got to be better.”

(Photograph of Norman Powell: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Photos