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Clippers Put Preseason Finale Loss To Blazers In Perspective

Rowan Kavner

LOS ANGELES – It’s not often a team can lose and have no losses on its record.

The Clippers would have liked to have gotten off to a better start in 2014, but they also don’t want to make too much of their six preseason losses after falling in the finale Friday to the Trail Blazers, 99-89, before the games actually count when the regular season begins next week.

“You can’t say that it doesn’t matter at all, but we’re 0-0 right now,” said forward Blake Griffin. “We’re not starting the season 2-6. So, really it matters from here on out. That’s when it really, really matters. Now it matters.”

Only time will tell if the switch will flip for the Clippers once the wins and losses start to matter next Thursday in the regular season opener against the Thunder. One of the bright spots of Friday’s loss was another game in which Griffin highlighted his outside game among his team-high 21 points in 25 minutes of action.

But Griffin said he can’t and won’t just rely on his outside game when the regular season begins.

“I have worked on it, but at the same time, I’m not a guard,” Griffin said. “I’ll be in the post still. I did a lot of face-up stuff this summer. To me, that’s still out of the post. I don’t want to fall in love with just shooting jump shots. I need to do a better job of mixing it up, and I need to go down there and command the ball and put pressure on teams.”

Griffin was the only Clippers player to take at least 10 shots and one of only three players to score in double digits. Jared Cunningham and J.J. Redick each had 12 points.

While Griffin doesn’t want to take too much out of the preseason struggles, he admitted the team needs “to iron some things out.”

“We need to be better defensively,” he said. “I think our offense is there at times, I just think we need to keep the ball moving. That’s on all of us. Defensively, I think that’s where we need to make our biggest adjustments. We haven’t guarded well – bigs, smalls, whatever, doesn’t matter. I think we need to have a little better sense of urgency.”

Despite the preseason struggles, the expectations are as high as they’ve been for a Clippers team that keeps the same nucleus of stars.

Guard Chris Paul, who had eight points and 11 assists Friday, said the playoff aspirations won’t make it tough to flip the switch from championship hopes in the preseason to a game-by-game mentality once the regular season begins.

“Luckily, it’s my 10th year,” Paul said. “It’s all about that night, that game, and you’ve got to take it one game at a time.”

As poor as the record was, the most important takeaway from the preseason might be the Clippers’ healthy squad.

Head coach Doc Rivers gave Jamal Crawford the night off Friday to make sure he’s healthy for the regular season opener, and the starting five will all be ready to go when games start to matter. In addition, Jordan Farmar’s back healed up enough for him to return to action and get 22:52 of playing time Friday.

In addition, the Clippers have five days to rest and to practice before they start their regular season opener Oct. 30. Paul said the team’s health is the best part as the preseason ends.

“I think we got out of it healthy, knock on wood,” Paul said. “Everyone should be ready to go opening night, so that’s big.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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