Struggling to adjust to their new arena, the Los Angeles Clippers will aim to create a tough environment when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in Inglewood, California.
This season, the Clippers opened a new $2 billion arena that has received praise from visiting players. However, what those teams seem to enjoy the most is that they have won all their games there.
The Clippers fell to 0-4 in their new venue after losing 105-92 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. They struggled in the second half again, despite leading 57-53 at halftime. Los Angeles shot only 30 percent (12 of 40) in the second half.
In each of their four home games, the Clippers have held a lead after the second half, and they even had a double-digit lead in three of those matches.
“It’s nasty right now,” said Clippers player Norman Powell about the locker room atmosphere. “We just gotta figure it out, man. I mean, we’re playing a good 28, 32 minutes of basketball, but we gotta stay with it.”
Powell was the top scorer for the Clippers on Saturday with 24 points and has been leading the team with an average of 25.2 points per game.
The team is trying to find its way without Kawhi Leonard, who is out for an unknown period due to a knee injury, and Paul George, who left in free agency.
“We did some really good things throughout the game, and it’s something to build on,” said Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. “We’ve gotta keep improving offensively. We need to be confident in the shots we’re getting and making the right, simple plays.”
The Spurs are coming off a strong 113-103 win at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, a game that head coach Gregg Popovich missed due to illness. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson took charge from the bench.
Keldon Johnson scored 25 points, Jeremy Sochan added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 17 points. Veteran point guard Chris Paul led the team with 15 points and 13 assists.
At 39 years old, Paul is the second-oldest player to achieve double-digit assists in back-to-back games, following John Stockton, who did it at age 41.
“Mitch did a great job,” Paul said, according to the San Antonio Express News. “Things happen within this league all the time and just like with players, it’s next man up. So, shout out to Mitch.”
Wembanyama leads the Spurs with an average of 18.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while Sochan is scoring 17.3 points and grabbing 8.5 rebounds. Paul is averaging 8.7 assists in his 20th NBA season.
The Spurs will bring a two-game winning streak to Los Angeles, marking the first time they have won consecutive games this season.
Having played for the Clippers for six seasons until 2017, Paul is looking forward to seeing the new arena of his former team. “I’m excited to see what it’s like to play in there,” Paul said.
