The NBA Cup encounter between the Scissors and Sacramento Kings have increased the awareness of both teams even with this being an early-season game.
Both teams lost their first cup match and needed a win to stay relevant during the in-season tournament.
For the Clippers, the cup game gave them another opportunity to improve their sloppy game when it comes to taking care of the basketball and continue to take steps in the right direction.
And the game allowed the Clippers to once again show how powerful they are on defense, which they did by slowing down the high-scoring Kings while 104-88 win Friday night at Intuit Dome.
The Clippers were 1-3 last season in the Cup, but by winning their fourth straight game, they improved to 1-1 in NBA Cup group play.
“All the games are meaningful for us,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Playing for the Cup and having a chance to go to Vegas to play for the big money is always interesting, too. But we have to play the same every night, whether it’s the Cup, whatever we do, being shorthanded.”
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The Kings average 116.9 points per game, seventh best in the NBA, and shoot 48.9% percent from the field, third best. De’Aaron Fox is averaging 28.8 points per game, sixth best in the league.
From the start, the Clippers put the clamps on Sacramento.
LA held Sacramento to 12 points and 19% shooting in the first quarter, 11.9% (one for nine) from three-point range. For the game, the kings shot 38.6% from the field and 20% from three-point range.
Fox made his first shot on his sixth attempt. He finished the game with 29 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Clippers.
They opened up a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter that grew to 25 in the second quarter.
The Clippers helped their cause by taking care of the basketball and getting 22 points and nine assists from James Harden and a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds from Ivica Zubac.
They had 25 turnovers in their victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. During the season, the Clippers average 15.8 turnovers per game, fifth most in the NBA.
So, Lue was asked when he shows his group film of their miscues, what do they tell him?
“My bad,” Lue said.
Then what do you say?
“I say it’s a bad pass,” Lue said. “And then they say: ‘Facts!’ So, I mean, they get it. They see it. Just have to keep showing them, keep talking about it, because our margin for error is so thin. We just have to worry about the basketball.”
At least for this game, a lesson was learned.
The Clippers had zero turnovers in the first quarter. They didn’t commit their first turnover until nine minutes and 22 seconds remained in the second quarter, and that was on an offensive foul called on center Mo Bamba.
Before the half, the Clippers had turned the ball over just three times and had just 12 in the game.
Etc.
Lue said Norman Powell, who missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring, will join the team for the four-game trip that begins next week. “He’s making progress,” Lue said. “He’s progressing, he’s getting better [and] he will go on the journey.” When asked if Kawhi Leonard, due to inflammation in his right knee, would travel, Lue said, “No, sir.” … Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is managing swelling in his left knee and will miss a second straight game Sunday against the Clippers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
