Tyronn Lue made certain to name each participant, a transfer the Clippers coach stated was essential to verify the “temperature” of his crew earlier than its largest sport of the season.
Lue refused to textual content his gamers in a gaggle message as a result of he needed to “hear their voices” and encourage them earlier than taking part in in a win-or-go-home Sport 6 in opposition to the Denver Nuggets.
His gamers responded and delivered in a 111-105 win on the Intuit Dome on Thursday evening.
“Got a great temperature,” Lue stated. “Took a lot of temperatures in the last 36 hours.”
Lue’s two stars are reticent, however James Harden and Kawhi Leonard spoke volumes with their play in forcing a Sport 7 in Denver on Saturday evening.
Harden had 28 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds. He performed 46 minutes 35 seconds after being criticized for his subpar play in Video games 4 and 5.
Harden stated he was “tired a little bit” however didn’t see the criticism “at all.”
“Tonight the game plan was more for me to be in attack mode and making sure our spacing was right,” Harden stated. “And as a result, you know, I’ll be aggressive.”
Leonard had 27 factors and 10 rebounds and Norman Powell added 24 factors.
Denver Nuggets heart Nikola Jokic drives to the basket in entrance of Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard within the second quarter of Sport 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
“He usually does that,” Leonard stated about Lue calling gamers. “It was nothing new. Like during the season, winning steaks or losing streaks, he’s calling us just to see what we feel with the lineup and getting insight of how we should play defensively with matchups or whatever is really working for the player. He’s pretty good at that.”
The Clippers opened a 15-point lead within the fourth quarter on a Bogdan Bogdanovic three-pointer with 5:57 left. However that lead was sliced to 107-101, forcing the Clippers to name a timeout with 2:43 left.
Clippers guard James Harden, proper, celebrates with ahead Nicolas Batum after making a three-pointer within the fourth quarter of Sport 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
The Clippers didn’t rating out of the timeout however acquired a break when Russell Westbrook missed a fast-break layup, and Powell made a 3. The Nuggets weren’t executed, although, as Aaron Gordon scored and Christian Braun made two free throws with 58.5 seconds left to chop the result in 110-105.
It remained precarious for the Clippers after Harden turned the ball over, however Nikola Jokic (25 factors, eight assists, seven rebounds) had his layup blocked by Ivica Zubac, and the Clippers acquired the ball again. Leonard made one in all two free throws with 18.8 seconds left, and the Clippers’ protection did the remaining.
“It’s win or go home,” Harden stated. “And we still had some mistakes tonight, but I think our energy defensively and even offensively, our aggressiveness was different, which starts with me. So, watch some film, get better, figure out things that I can continue to get better at, do it one more game.”
Lue stated he thought of making a change to his beginning lineup however determined in opposition to it. That was till the beginning of the second half, when Lue began Nicolas Batum instead of Kris Dunn.
The 6-foot-9 Batum gave the Clippers extra measurement and constant outdoors capturing. And proper on cue Batum struck early, drilling a three-pointer to open the third.
Batum performed one other of his typical all-around video games, ending with six factors, six assists, 5 rebounds and three blocks.
“He [Lue] just told me after halftime, ‘Nico, you’re starting,’” Batum stated. “So, I have to do my job. That’s it.”
