Game #67: RAPTORS @ Clippers Wednesday 3/8 7 PM—ESPN

[nickhx2]

mann cannonballs from basically the half court line to ensure the game-clinching rebound

small sliver of life for ty lue (mostly) closing out the game with zubac/mann/kawhi/pg/gordon. they were great on defense, moved the ball around on offense, REBOUNDED like it was actually a key part of the game, and to me, mann was the glue that made it all work.

but just cause he did it the one time doesn't mean a thing. morris is still starting, getting 20 minutes a game, doing jack all like usual (2 shots and 2 boards LOL). covington still getting no burn. at least westbrook was decent tonight.

[esqtvd]

Major Kawhi-light!! Mann with more spark, but I think it's time to take him out for MMSr.

try to keep up lil bruh

Marcus ate up 23 minutes with little harm [2-4, plus/minus = 0]

Batum [14 min so far] in now for the 4th quarter

Ty actually does have a plan you know

Marcus did his job of resting Nico and not making KL play PF and gets the rest of the night off

we gotta get something out of him for his $17 million dollars a year lol

His sole job next season will be making that $17M so we can use that salary in a trade…

Batum didn't really have it tonight. Thank God we got some minutes out of Senior without too much harm. Gordon too. Not great, not really good either. Mann did nice but was on the floor as we almost pissed away the lead.

Westbrook and Morris both sat out the 4th quarter [which is fine with me] so let's cut that noise.

[madmaxmedia]

We get those 2 OT games and this recent stretch looks waaaay better.

[The High Cyde]

Still playing Marcus is just mind-boggling, our defense would be so much better with RoCo in there, wtf man, I just don’t understand. He’s clearly done as an NBA player.

[clipperlover]

Clips jump back to 6th.

[Scoundreldays]

Still playing Marcus is just mind-boggling, our defense would be so much better with RoCo in there, wtf man, I just don’t understand. He’s clearly done as an NBA player.

He could barely catch the ball tonight.

[nickhx2]

Still playing Marcus is just mind-boggling, our defense would be so much better with RoCo in there, wtf man, I just don’t understand. He’s clearly done as an NBA player.

sometimes you just gotta **** up someone's day and fortunately for me, it's robert covington, every day - ty lue, former clippers head coach

[Dynamix]

Never doubted us for a second, except during the first quarter, when I was ready to submit a message saying how I was done for this season. But now I'm fully back on board, at least until the next game with Morris starting.

I'd like to see Ty tinker with Russ running the second unit for longer stretches, it looked like there was something there.

[Scoundreldays]

Still playing Marcus is just mind-boggling, our defense would be so much better with RoCo in there, wtf man, I just don’t understand. He’s clearly done as an NBA player.

sometimes you just gotta **** up someone's day and fortunately for me, it's robert covington, every day - ty lue, former clippers head coach

I laughed harder than I should have reading that in Ty Lue's voice

[esqtvd]

Still playing Marcus is just mind-boggling, our defense would be so much better with RoCo in there, wtf man, I just don’t understand. He’s clearly done as an NBA player.

Marcus neither helped nor hurt and ate up 23 minutes. His job is to be tall and go stand in the right place. He managed that much.

The important thing is that Westbrook actually helped. 7 points, 3-6, 2 rebs, 7 assists and only 3 TOs. Plus+12. Didn't cost us points and PG didn't have to play point guard.

One miracle at a time, man. After that losing streak, this thing is posed on the knife's edge. We could finish with the 4 seed or get bounced in the play-in. Frankly, after him being bounced all over the league, I think it will truly be a miracle if we pull off taming Russell Westbrook as a legitimate playoff starter.

Marcus/RoCo? 20-25 minutes either way and Marcus is not killing us and RoCo can't save us. Frankly we just need to rest Batum, who's better than both.


Mann still doesn't have a role and Powell is still a coinflip. Gordon may be worth 20 minutes or none. I think those three are in competition for minutes and I have no idea who is the best fit. [Probably a rotating committee.]

[esqtvd]

Never doubted us for a second, except during the first quarter, when I was ready to submit a message saying how I was done for this season. But now I'm fully back on board, at least until the next game with Morris starting.

I'd like to see Ty tinker with Russ running the second unit for longer stretches, it looked like there was something there.

That would be nice but Russ's only job is to keep Kawhi and PG happy and playing at their best. George doesn't want to play point guard and Kawhi doesn't want to have to play PF if Mann or Gordon or Powell becomes the starter.

They were very happy tonight getting to do what they do best and not being saddled with a JOB playing out of position.

[nickhx2]

Never doubted us for a second, except during the first quarter, when I was ready to submit a message saying how I was done for this season. But now I'm fully back on board, at least until the next game with Morris starting.

I'd like to see Ty tinker with Russ running the second unit for longer stretches, it looked like there was something there.

i do think something's there. which is funny cause it woulda been there from the start if he just kept starting mann and let russ come off the bench, like any non-psycho would have done if they were the head coach.

wish i could say i was on board, but i'm not. for one thing, lue would have to close every single game for the rest of the season with the same lineup he did tonight, or a variation of it that included at least mann/gordon/batum/covington, while excluding westbrook morris. how likely is that however many games we have left?

and of course he'd actually have to play covington and not start morris (ideally relegating him to 3rd string). but since this is just not happening at this point, i can safely say i have the same faith in lue and this team that i've had since the ASB. which is pretty much zero.

i mean you'd have to be absolutely clueless to watch this game tonight, see morris do his usual dumpster-fire masquerading as an NBA player trick, see mann come in and make the team go from zzz to LIT, see how much more comfortable everyone was in their corresponding roles (even russ with the 2nd unit) only to go "hmm yeah, the more i play mann, the better this team looks. but let's just keep prioritizing morris and starting westbrook."

so ya, don't trust lue until he either makes legitimate, overarching changes that stick, or until he's dismissed from the team.

[The High Cyde]

Looking at the standings right now, Memphis and Phoenix are the 3 and 4 seeds respectively, but I’m pretty much sure Memphis is about to sink like a rock due to all the distractions and injuries. Phoenix might join in as well with Durant turning his ankle, they absolutely can not afford any injuries to their starters given how weak their bench is. At the 5 seed is Golden State, and that team is pretty mercurial and I can’t totally trust them given their road record, plus Wiggins is still out so they’re not fully there as well.

That 3 seed might be up for grabs still. Gotta get our **** together and string some quality wins this last stretch.

[clipperlover]

Marcus neither helped nor hurt

Didn't cost us points

Incorrect. He had us playing 4 on 5 most of the time he was on the court. We won despite him. He did the least to help tonight. Ty favors him like he is some superstar, but he is nothing more than a role player who is easily replacable.

[playaloc916]

Saw the highlights, yet another late game meltdown but at least they held on to win. Raps shot only 39% against Clips 55%... Was it because of good defense or were they just cold? Last few games the defense has been non existent, that trend needs to end asap.

I liked the minutes distribution (with the exception of the one we all love to hate). Russ played 23 minutes and put up a pretty efficient 7/2/7/1/1 with "only" 3 turnovers, and a team high +12. I'd love for him to average that for the rest of the season.

Glad Mann got big minutes tonight. His finishing at the rim has really improved. I like how he can sidestep defenders for easy dunks and layups.

Next game will be tough against the Knicks. They have a record comparable to the Kings. Hope the team plays good defense, not turn the ball over, and avoid the regular 4th quarter collapse.

[clipperlover]

Looking at the standings right now, Memphis and Phoenix are the 3 and 4 seeds respectively, but I’m pretty much sure Memphis is about to sink like a rock due to all the distractions and injuries. Phoenix might join in as well with Durant turning his ankle, they absolutely can not afford any injuries to their starters given how weak their bench is. At the 5 seed is Golden State, and that team is pretty mercurial and I can’t totally trust them given their road record, plus Wiggins is still out so they’re not fully there as well.

That 3 seed might be up for grabs still. Gotta get our **** together and string some quality wins this last stretch.

Clips have 2 less road games left than everyone else in he West. Until the recent losing streak, we had the best road record in the west (still #3).

GS has 9 road games left. At their current road rate, they project to win only 2 of those games.

Being 3 wins up with less games and less road games should be enough to stay out of the 9 or 10.

[esqtvd]

Looking at the standings right now, Memphis and Phoenix are the 3 and 4 seeds respectively, but I’m pretty much sure Memphis is about to sink like a rock due to all the distractions and injuries. Phoenix might join in as well with Durant turning his ankle, they absolutely can not afford any injuries to their starters given how weak their bench is. At the 5 seed is Golden State, and that team is pretty mercurial and I can’t totally trust them given their road record, plus Wiggins is still out so they’re not fully there as well.

That 3 seed might be up for grabs still. Gotta get our **** together and string some quality wins this last stretch.

B-b-b-b-but Austin Rivers!!!

i heard if you have good plus minus it makes you a god at basketball

depends on how you're used

but it's ALWAYS better than having a bad plus/minus

Unless you're Austin Rivers. Then being a -3 on average for your career is everyone else's fault.

Austin Rivers. Yes, folks, with the entire season at stake, THIS was really on our game thread.

[esqtvd]

I liked the minutes distribution (with the exception of the one we all love to hate). Russ played 23 minutes and put up a pretty efficient 7/2/7/1/1 with "only" 3 turnovers, and a team high +12. I'd love for him to average that for the rest of the season.

Glad Mann got big minutes tonight. His finishing at the rim has really improved. I like how he can sidestep defenders for easy dunks and layups.

Glad someone noticed. Mann can be a nice piece but if Russ can't play winning basketball, our chances are slim and none.

[esqtvd]

Looking at the standings right now, Memphis and Phoenix are the 3 and 4 seeds respectively, but I’m pretty much sure Memphis is about to sink like a rock due to all the distractions and injuries. Phoenix might join in as well with Durant turning his ankle, they absolutely can not afford any injuries to their starters given how weak their bench is. At the 5 seed is Golden State, and that team is pretty mercurial and I can’t totally trust them given their road record, plus Wiggins is still out so they’re not fully there as well.

That 3 seed might be up for grabs still. Gotta get our **** together and string some quality wins this last stretch.

Clips have 2 less road games left than everyone else in he West. Until the recent losing streak, we had the best road record in the west (still #3).

GS has 9 road games left. At their current road rate, they project to win only 2 of those games.

Being 3 wins up with less games and less road games should be enough to stay out of the 9 or 10.

I hate even thinking about the play-in but I can't say you're wrong.

[Clemenza]

Good quality win tonight. Bad turnovers in the first quarter but the defense was much better than their last few outings. PG playing more aggressive with a chip on his shoulder is really good to see. Mann and Kawhi were great. Russ under control and contributing. Lets get the Knicks on Saturday!