Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is adamant that his team doesn't overlook its opponents or play to the level of its competition, but the Clippers' performance over their recent stretch of games suggests otherwise.
"I think you play to your schedule sometimes," Rivers said before the Clippers' 101-97 victory over the Utah Jazz. "There is a little bit of always looking at your different opponents. But I think for the most part we play pretty hard."
That wasn't the case for most of the game on Monday night, as the Clips let the lowly Jazz hang around and almost sneak out of Staples Center with a win. The Clippers dialed up their intensity when they had to, which is a large part of their problem.
Ultimately, the Jazz couldn't capitalize in crunch-time despite a handful of chances, and Clips' talent advantage prevailed, moving them to 21-11 on the season (the same record they had through 32 games last season).
"We just really haven't played well defensively," Rivers said. "Our offensive numbers have stayed the same. I don't think we've played well offensively, either; we've just won enough games to make it look better."
Blake Griffin added: "We will always take those wins. We still did not really play with a sense of urgency. ... For the most part, we did not do a great job."
Here are five takeaways from Monday's game:
Block party
The Clippers tied a season high with 12 blocks. On the surface that's impressive, but when factoring in the Utah's points in the paint (44) and offensive rebounds (18), that figure looks more and more pedestrian. "[Our blocks] meant that they were in the paint a lot," Rivers said. "That is one reason that you get blocked shots -- it's usually the only reason." As the several players alluded to after the game, the guards did a poor job of corralling Jazz ball-handlers and preventing penetration, leading to kick-outs for 3-pointers or dump passes for easy finishes. Luckily, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Matt Barnes were there to erase some mistakes.
The bench woes continue
Blake Griffin plays entire fourth quarter in Clippers' win over Jazz
As has become the recent trend, the Clippers' second unit couldn't maintain the starters' lead, and Rivers had to insert the first unit before the midway point of the second quarter. It got to the point where Rivers was forced to play no more than three bench players at a time, maintaining some portion of the starters for balance. That adjustment should have probably happened weeks ago, but it's encouraging to see that Rivers is acknowledging and adapting to the team's weaknesses, and bandaging the wound before it gets worse.
Blake the Great
It must be noted that Blake Griffin has started to play like an MVP candidate again, and tonight's ridiculous line -- 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks -- was reminiscent of something you'd see from only LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Griffin is averaging 6.7 assists over his last 10 games, which is an absurd number for a big man, and has quietly established himself as one of the game's best passers in the frontcourt. He is quickly returning to form, which can only be encouraging after a subpar start by his standards.
The harsh truth
Heading into Monday's contest, the Clippers had lost six of their previous 10 games. Over that stretch, their offense remained elite (third in offensive efficiency), but their defensive struggled considerably, dropping to 24th in defensive efficiency. The Golden State win notwithstanding, the Clips have struggled against playoff-caliber competition, going just 7-9 against teams currently in the playoffs in either conference. The culprit has been their defense, which has been inconsistent at best, and atrocious at worst. For the Clippers to make ground in the West -- they're currently in sixth place -- they need to tighten up the screws on D.
Something's in the air?
Monday's game featured an abnormal amount of airballs and bad misses from both sides -- I lost track at seven midway through the second quarter. The Jazz made an uncanny amount of 3-pointers (8 of 19), and the Clippers shot nearly 80 percent from the charity stripe (17 of 22). Jordan, normally deft at catching and finishing around the rim, fumbled three passes that would have led to wide-open dunks. It was a weird, ugly game at times, and just one of those nights for both squads.
