The Los Angeles Clippers fell 126-107 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at the Intuit Dome, but the final score doesn’t tell the whole story.
The game was much closer than it appeared, with the home side just two points behind late in the third quarter before things unravelled.
Ty Lue’s decisions didn’t help matters. The Clippers head coach made some questionable moves, particularly with how he managed James Harden’s playing time.
He kept Harden out of the action for nearly ten minutes during a crucial stretch from late in the second quarter into early in the third. This is a mistake that Lue can’t afford to repeat if he wants to keep this team moving forward.
Ty Lue needs to adjust his rotation after James Harden misstep
James Harden held his own against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during his 30 minutes on the court, going toe-to-toe with the reigning MVP.
He finished the night with 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists, hitting five three-pointers and posting a positive plus-minus of 2.
The difference in the game came from the benches. Thunder backup Ajay Mitchell made a huge impact for OKC, finishing with a plus-minus of 31.
Chris Paul didn’t register any points for LA and posted a minus-24 in just 11 minutes. The Clippers completely fell apart without Harden on the floor, and Lue didn’t step in to adjust.
Lue took Harden out when the Clippers were down three late in the third quarter. By the time he put him back in seven minutes later, they were down by 17.
No one expects Harden to play every minute, but leaving him out for such a long stretch turned out to be costly. Even if Oklahoma City was likely to win anyway, Lue’s rotation decisions helped tip things further in their favour.
Clippers have a way to address their James Harden issue
Chris Paul hasn’t lived up to expectations since joining the Clippers, contributing just two points and four assists per game off the bench.
He’s no longer able to run an offense as he once did, so the Clippers need another ball-handler in their second unit.
Kris Dunn has taken on that responsibility when everyone’s healthy, but it might be better for the team if he started and Bradley Beal came off the bench instead.
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The starting five could use Dunn’s defence alongside Harden, while the bench needs Beal’s scoring and playmaking ability.
Beal may need some convincing to embrace a bench role, but it could be exactly what the team needs to steady things when Harden sits.
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