Clippers Lose 8th Straight, Drop to Hornets 102-87

LA Clippers v Charlotte Hornets

The two teams with the longest losing streaks in the NBA went head-to-head, and only one team prevailed. Last night’s game truly came down to who wanted it more. In the final 7 minutes of the 4th quarter, the Hornets proved they wanted to win more than the Clippers. During the final minutes of the game, Charlotte went on a 23-7 run to win 102-87.

The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker’s 26 points & 6 assists, and Dwight Howard’s 16 points & 16 rebounds. Despite a poor shooting night (39%), the team remained true to their offense and had only 8 turnovers. Charlotte’s three point shooting performance helped give their offense the boost it needed, as they shot 11/26 (42%).

Charlotte truly stuck together in the closing minutes of the fourth, where they held the Clippers to only 6-20 shooting.

Fourth Quarter Woes

The Clippers kept the game relatively close for three quarters, and even had a lead during the 4th quarter.

However, the team’s offense turned into a complete mess during the closing minutes of the 4th quarter once the starters returned. Similar to the game against the Cavs, the Clippers stopped moving the ball and reverted to nonstop ISO ball down the stretch. Los Angeles only scored 6 field goals the entire fourth quarter, and turned over the ball 5 times. The starters entered the game at 6:57 when the score was 82-80 (Charlotte lead). Within that span of time, the Clippers scored only 7 points and lost the game 102-87. Blake Griffin’s shot selection during the past couple of games have not been ideal.

The Final Clip: The Clippers need to change their starting line-up. Blake Griffin clearly needs play-making help and could be seen getting visibly frustrated during the game. Hopefully with the proper adjustment, his late game decision making will be easier.

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