After a disappointing four-point loss to the Suns Thursday night, Clippers players and coaches gathered in the team's locker room for roughly an hour before opening the doors to the press.
What happened behind the closed doors was kept quiet.
"If we wanted you to know," Chris Paul said, "we'd have invited you in."
The loss, which some players categorized as one of the worst of the season, came with Grant Hill and Steve Nash sitting on the bench, resting for the middle game of a back-to-back-to-back.
Forward Blake Griffin said the meeting didn't involve finger pointing, but multiple players spoke up about the team's recent struggles.
"This one hurts," Griffin said.
Clippers deal for shooting guard Young
--Prior to Thursday's game with Phoenix, the Clippers officially announced they had acquired Nick Young from the Washington Wizards.
The Clippers sent Brian Cook and New Orleans' 2015 second-round pick to the Wizards in the deal, using Eric Gordon's trade exception to make the contracts work.
"I didn't think that there was going to be a way for us to acquire a player like Nick Young for a second-round pick," Clippers general manager Neil Olshey said.
Young, a native of Los Angeles, starred at USC before being drafted by the Wizards. He's expected to join the starting lineup once he gets comfortable.
"I'm excited to be back," he said. "It's a great fit. I find myself growing there."
--Prior to the game, the Clippers' players were talking a lot about the NCAA Tournament. Former Kentucky player Eric Bledsoe was doing most of the bragging.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "No." -- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, on whether it'd be wrong to categorize the Clippers' fourth-quarter offense as predictable and disorganized in the team's loss to the Suns Thursday.
ROSTER REPORT
PLAYER NOTES:
--F Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 25 points. Griffin, though, was 1-of-4 from the line with his third air-ball in the last two games.
--F Caron Butler scored 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. By going over 10 points in his last two games, Butler's scored double figures in consecutive outings for the first time in a month.
--G Chris Paul flirted with his first triple-double as a Clipper. Paul finished with 10 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the team's loss.
--G Randy Foye played just 14 minutes, scoring two points. In his last three games, Foye's scored a total of 10 points.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Chauncey Billups (left Achilles' tendon) underwent surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. Billups is out for the remainder of the season.
--G Chris Paul (nasal fracture) suffered the injury Friday at San Antonio. Thursday, Paul played without a protective mask for the second time since the injury.
ROTATION:
Starters:
--Point guard Chris Paul
--Shooting guard Randy Foye
--Small forward Caron Butler
--Power forward Blake Griffin
--Center DeAndre Jordan
Bench:
--Guard Mo Williams
--Forward Kenyon Martin
--Forward Bobby Simmons
--Forward Reggie Evans
--Guard Eric Bledsoe
