Coach Vinny Del Negro: Los Angeles Clippers put up a lacklustre effort - NBA Update
On Tuesday night Los Angeles Clippers displayed a lethargic show. Despite Chris Paul (34) and Blake Griffin (36) no other player could hit double figure index. As a result Atlanta Hawks handed them a 109-102 defeat. Clippers coach
Vinny del Negro was exasperated at the effort.
"They outworked us. They outrebounded us," Del Negro said. "They got loose balls. We didn't really give ourselves a chance.… I didn't think our starters were very good. I didn't think our bench was very good and that's what you
get."
With this defeat Clippers’ jeopardized their home-ground advantage over Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. The coach has gone through a lot lately and he knows that such lacklustre show can drag them back into
the same plight.
Almost a month ago, there were people in the franchise asking for his head as they Clippers slumped in one game after another. LAC lost 12 of their 19 games and the situation got so worsened that the coach required a vote of confidence.
He was saved by the owner Donald Sterling at the last minute.
He pushed the accelerator and as a result Clippers were 13-15 entering into the game against Phoenix Suns last Thursday. Paul and Griffin are the wings but the second unit was the wind, their combined efforts secured Clippers the
5th berth in Western conference.
The coach was approached with the question, that what went wrong.
"Inexperience, young. You can make a bunch of excuses about it," Del Negro said. "The bottom line is you've got to go out and perform and I thought we got outworked tonight. Maybe we've got to take some more vitamins. But I didn't
like the start of the game."
The coach understands with such kind of effort they will not last long in the postseason and if they lost his contracts’ extension will be endangered. The franchise holds the option to bring back Del Negro in the next season.
They have proceeded into the playoffs for the 1st time since 2006 and it is impossible for them to advance if the players don’t want to play hard for the coach.
The coach was asked that how will he inspire the team to display an enthusiastic show against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. He said that he will kick them. But it turned out that kicking was not enough as they lost the
game by 99-93.
So they have lost the chance to start the best of 7 at the Staples Center, but they made it into the playoffs.
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