Two of the NBA’s best defensive clubs collided Wednesday night and with that came the expectations of a slugfest between the Clippers and Orlando Magic.
The Clippers already were not the most potent offense, their 109.2 points per game the eighth fewest in the league. And they had to face a Magic team that gave up the fewest points (102.2) and was second in defensive rating (103.9). Moreover, the Magic were riding a six-game win streak in which none of their opponents had scored more than 100 points and they were doing all this without their best player, Paolo Banchero, who is out because of an oblique injury.
This is what the Clippers were up against and they were without Norman Powell out because of a left hamstring strain. Powell is the team’s leading scorer (23 points per game) making 49% of his shots and 48.7% of his three-pointers.
But the Clippers knew they could hold their own defensively, and with their offense actually humming, they built a 19-point lead in the third quarter and pulled out a 104-93 win at the Intuit Dome.
Yet, even with the Clippers (9-7) grinding out their third straight win, Coach Tyronn Lue was not happy.
His team turned the ball over 25 times, and even though the defense was stellar and the Clippers shot 49.4% from the field and 50% (11 for 22) from three-point range, the poor ballhandling remained an issue they can’t seem to shake.
“We knew it was going to be nasty, but like 25 turnovers is just … It just makes no sense,” an exasperated Lue said. “We got to be all around the board. Just taking care of the basketball.”
The Clippers’ defensive swagger came from giving up just 109.1 points per game, the fourth fewest, leading the league in steals, collecting 10.3 per game, and ranking seventh in defensive rating (109.7).
Read more: Clippers fend off Stephen Curry-led Warriors comeback in thrilling victory
So, it was no surprise that the Clippers held the Magic to 44% shooting, 22.9% from three-point range and to fewer than 100 points.
“I was very happy and excited about our defense tonight,” Lue said. “I thought we did a good job, really paying attention to detail, understanding what we wanted to take away and our guys did a good job with that. But offensively, we’ve just got to be better. You shoot 49% from the field and 50% from three and then you have 25 turnovers. So, we’ve got to be better.”
In Powell’s place, the Clippers started Amir Coffey and his game was on point from the start, as Coffey made his first three three-pointers and his first four shots in the first quarter for 11 points. He finished the first half with 14 points on five-for-six shooting and four for four on threes. He completed his night with 18 points on six-for-10 shooting.
“I try not to get into minute-wise, coming off the bench or starting,” Coffey said. “I just try to do my job when my name is called. I got it going early tonight and it worked out.”
Entering the game, the Clippers had turned the ball over the eighth most times in the NBA, giving it away 15.4 times per game. When Coffey looked at the stat sheet while he spoke to the media, even he was dismayed.
“We turned the ball over a lot,” Coffey said. “So, that’s something we’ve got to cut down on. Just winning games like this, it’s important. Some games it’s…”
Coffey paused for a moment and looked at the stat sheet again.
“Damn,” he said. “We had 25. Yeah, that’s crazy. I didn’t know that. Twenty-five turnovers, that’s insane.”
As for when Powell will return, Lue said his high-scoring guard won’t play Friday night, “and then we’ll see from there.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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