Clippers hardly daunted by 1-0 hole after prior series comebacks

The LA Clippers made history by being the first team in the league to recover from multiple 0-2 deficits in the same postseason, showing no signs of fear as they faced these challenges.

So believe it when Paul George says, “I expect us to get better as the series goes,” or when DeMarcus Cousins vows the Clippers will “adjust” at some point soon in this Western Conference finals series against the Phoenix Suns.

Clippers center Ivica Zubac commented after Game 1, “We can identify their approach and begin to strategize our adjustments. Ideally, other teams would adapt to our style of play. However, our games against Dallas and Utah stretched to seven and six games respectively, which gave other teams a longer preparation period against us. That’s the current situation and we have to accept it. We’re set on making our adjustments.”

They’ve certainly proven adept at the chess game on the hardwood against some of the NBA’s brightest stars heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 at Phoenix Suns Arena (9 ET, ESPN).

The LA team began the playoffs with losses in their first two games against a powerful Dallas Mavericks team led by Luka Doncic. However, they made a comeback, winning four out of the next five games and taking the series. In the conference semifinals, despite initial losses in the first two games against the top-seeded Utah Jazz and an injured Donovan Mitchell, the Clippers rebounded with four consecutive victories.

This series could start out similarly considering coach Tyronn Lue officially ruled out leading scorer Kawhi Leonard for Game 2 against a Suns squad that George believes is “a different caliber team than the other two teams we faced.” Forward Marcus Morris Sr. (knee) “is still experiencing some soreness,” according to Lue, though he is not listed on the Game 2 injury report.

In the face of all that adversity, LA’s confidence hasn’t waned. Devin Booker drilled the Clippers in Game 1 for a 40-point triple-double, but the Clippers believe they’ve already identified different ways to minimize the All-Star guard’s impact as the series progresses.

Lue commented that in Game 1, his team consistently started guarding Booker too far from the basket, which gave him too much space to initiate his attack. This strategy put the team’s big men in challenging positions as Booker, the Suns guard, exploited this advantage and attacked the Clippers with his mid-range shots.

“We need to apply more pressure on the three-point line and try to make the court as compact as possible, offering our power players a chance to set up and make a move in tight spaces,” said Lue. “In my opinion, they did a remarkable job of dissecting our defense for the most part. We made some errors. But as I mentioned, Devin Booker skillfully anticipated the play he wanted to make when we attempted to double-team him. When we aggressively defended the pick-and-roll, they knew exactly where their players needed to be and placed us in challenging situations. They executed their offensive game plan very well.”

While Doncic and Mitchell utilized the 3-pointer as their primary weapon in the initial two rounds, Booker poses a varied threat. He can damage opponents with his 3-point shooting, his mid-range game, and his impressive ability to score at the basket.

“Dealing with Luka and Donovan requires staying at the screen level,” explained Zubac. “On the other hand, for those who prefer the mid-range, you don’t need to be that high up. That’s a significant difference for me when I’m defending the pick-and-roll.”

Suns center Deandre Ayton presents a distinct challenge due to the unique aspects of his game in comparison to LA’s previous two opponents. In the first round, Kristaps Porzingis essentially acted as a decoy for Dallas, spreading the floor. Despite having incredible rim-protection skills, Utah’s Rudy Gobert isn’t as physically agile in defensive rotations, nor as proficient at scoring at the rim, as Ayton.

In Game 1, Ayton scored 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field and grabbed nine rebounds. Phoenix emerged victorious in the rebound battle with a 43-39 score.

“George stated, “Ayton displays more agility and has a stronger presence down low compared to other bigs we’ve faced. He’s also a superior finisher. It’s going to be a challenge to face him. We definitely need to work on dealing with these aspects.”

Lue thinks that Rajon Rondo, the reserve point guard, needs to step up and play a more crucial role in the series due to the indefinite absence of Leonard, LA’s top scorer. The Clippers can’t rely on Leonard the way they typically do when Reggie Jackson and George are off the court.

In Game 1, Rondo scored eight points, made three out of five shots, provided seven assists, and played for 22 minutes.

“Lue expressed the importance of his player’s quick pace, ability to create opportunities for Luke Kennard and Nic Batum, and his knack for locating Cousins on the court. Lue emphasized that this player’s pace is crucial, especially in the absence of key scorer, Kawhi. He stated the need for a player who can maintain the pace and generate shots for others. Lue stressed the importance of this player’s confidence in taking his own shots, applauding the two 3-pointers he made in the last game. However, Lue pointed out that the player offers more than just shooting ability – his intelligence, pace, leadership and ability to create opportunities for others are equally vital. Lue believes that the team needs more than just scoring ability, and values the other qualities that this player brings to the team.”

Though the Clippers don’t require a confidence boost, given their track record of bouncing back from adversity this postseason. The uncertainty surrounding Morris and Leonard’s health status, who are both receiving continuous treatment to return to the lineup, makes the impending challenge slightly more intimidating.

The Clippers defeated Utah by a combined margin of 20 points in the last two games of the conference semifinals, even without Leonard in the lineup.

“So, our plan is to correct the mistakes made in Game 1, rectify the wrongs, and obviously make necessary adjustments. We are certainly looking forward to a better performance,” said Cousins.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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