The results, the style of play, Kawhi Leonard… The signals are red among the Clippers

Five straight wins on one side, five straight losses on the other. This poster between the Nuggets and the Clippers was already on paper and it was no longer the first round of the playoffs that was tilted in Denver’s favor a few months earlier. The reality of the prosecution confirmed this on Wednesday, s a monumental demonstration Nikola Jokic (55 points) et success for the Rockies franchise. For Los Angeles, it’s grimace soup.

The play produced by Tyronn Lue’s men is woefully inadequate for a playoff contender. So much so that the California coach is already starting to change his approach to his rotation…

Fatal third quarter

With their eighth loss in eleven games, the urgency is premature among the Clippers. Slow, not always offensively inspired, they are average at best, downright mediocre at times.

Against the Nuggets, as often since the beginning of the season, the third quarter alone was enough to completely sink Los Angeles. Leading at halftime (68-63), the Clippers were outscored 43-22, with more fouls (9) than points or rebounds (8)… This after suffering a 40-23 loss to the Suns last Friday, 32-14 to the Warriors, 37-24 after a 37-24 comeback against the He locker room.

“The first half was really good” Tyronn Lue said at the press conference. “It’s only the third quarter that kills us. We can’t score, we don’t protect our ball. It’s like we’re running out of energy. I don’t think it’s fatigue, but we have to play with James (Harden) and Zubac (Ivica Zubac) a lot of minutes just to stay afloat. You can’t give them a third down and expect a point on the court.

Carried by… their “two-way contract” Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders

With the starters still visibly asleep (three fouls for John Collins and Chris Dunn in the third quarter, some very necessary), Tyronn Lue had no choice but to adjust.

While the Clippers praised themselves for putting together an experienced group, bolstered during the offseason by Brook Lopez or Chris Paul, the rare spark of the night came from “young” players on a “two-way contract” Jordan Miller (age 25) and Kobe Sanders (age 23). The latter did well in the first period with his 3-point prowess (3/7 at the end, 3/5 at the break). Jordan Miller turned into a real offensive boss (22 points on 6/10, including 5/7 on 3-pointers) when his team took water from all sides in the second period with 14 points, the only one that exceeded six points after halftime on the Clippers’ side.

JORDAN MILLER WINS THE 1K BUZZER WITH A HALF SHAKE

WHAT. A. SHOT. pic.tvitter.com/BkKTDGSvgS

— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2025

“I think the bench scored 60 points, 15 three-pointers (62 on 15/27 from long range),” Tyronn Lue noted. “They brought us a lot of energy. » The Clippers coach is convinced and confirmed it: Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, the two most played times of the evening from the bench (25 and 27 minutes), are now part of his rotation. “We have to continue to help these young players grow. They will make mistakes, we are aware of that. But I really liked how they played tonight. I thought they played the right way: the ball moved, guys had open positions, we attacked the circle making the right choices. We will continue to give these players room to grow.”

The foot also affected Kawhi Leonard

The Clippers coach doesn’t have a complete choice anyway, given the absence of Bradley Beal, in the offseason, and Kawhi Leonard. “We have to do things better, we’re downsized and we don’t have much room for error.”“, he admitted.

Lawrence Frank, the franchise’s head of basketball operations, was also less than sanguine about the case of his star winger, sidelined for five games. “It wasn’t just a sprained ankle, he also suffered a pretty significant sprain in his foot. he revealed. “When he twisted his ankle, it kind of triggered a mechanism in his foot.”

Kawhi Leonard will be re-evaluated in a week after consulting with three specialists, and will continue to undergo treatment several times a day until then, a scenario the Clippers know all too well. Until then, the California franchise will go on a seven-match “road trip” with two blades. The Clippers can go a little darker or take the opportunity to reinvent themselves and jumpstart their season.

“We have to find who we are on the way” Tyronn Lue explained. “It’s a really good time to do it. You have to stay together, stick together. (…) The guys will be together, team dinners, they’ll have a chance to see each other more. It’s a bit like us against the rest of the world. »

They will begin with a trip to Dallas on Friday, “a match that will not be easy” predicts the technician.