A day after they were undone by the greatest shooter in NBA history, the Clippers’ attempts to get back on track Monday were thwarted by an even more dangerous offensive weapon.
Jonas Valanciunas?
The New Orleans center made one three-pointer in his first five seasons before blooming into a capable, if not prolific, deep shooter amid the last half of his career but against the Clippers this season, and Monday in particular, he made Stephen Curry’s second-half show from one day earlier inside Staples Center look positively inefficient.
Less than two weeks after making a then-career high five three-pointers in a win over the Clippers, Valanciunas made his first seven three-pointers Monday to riddle the league’s second-ranked defense on his way to 39 points, 15 rebounds and a 123-104 Pelicans win.
In one 66-second stretch of the half, Valanciunas made three three-pointers to induce groans inside the arena while pushing the Pelicans’ lead to 21.
It was a jarring finish to a first half that began with so much promise for the Clippers — just as this team began November with seven consecutive wins, only to finish it with six losses in its last nine games.
Looking nothing like the team that committed 26 turnovers while mustering only 90 points Sunday against Golden State, the Clippers scored on their first five possessions. Perhaps the most promising development was reserve center Serge Ibaka’s strongest performance since returning from the G League last week, as he made three of his first four three-pointers for 13 points.
The Clippers shot 51% overall, their best shooting night since Nov. 13, and 38% from behind the three-point arc, but there were ominous signs when New Orleans (6-17) matched them shot for shot, making seven of their first eight field goals, and didn’t slow down behind Valanciunas’ offensive outburst.
Paul George scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson scored 19 after being held scoreless Sunday.
“We were due for a bad defensive game,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “We just couldn’t stop them.”
The Clippers were outscored by 14 on second-chance points, by 16 in transition and by 34 in the paint while turning the ball over 15 times.
Entering Monday, a team had committed 20 or more turnovers in one game 43 times this season. The Clippers owned four of those performances; only Minnesota had more.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram struggles to shoot over Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe, left, and guard Reggie Jackson during second half action at Staples Center on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Only the severely rebuilding Houston Rockets have turned the ball over more consistently than the Clippers in November.
The sloppiness counted as a surprise. The Clippers returned numerous veterans from last season’s roster that posted the league’s seventh-lowest turnover average and, through the first six games this season, averaged only 11.5 turnovers.
“Offensively they had the right intent to move the basketball and play the right way,” Lue said. “We just couldn’t stop them tonight.”
The Clippers cut their deficit to nine in the third quarter’s final seconds, the first time they’d trailed by single digits since four minutes remained in the first quarter, only to see Pelicans reserve Garrett Temple sink a three-pointer at the third quarter’s buzzer, and Clippers wing Terance Mann walk back to his huddle clutching his head, yelling an expletive.
On a free throw, jumper and three-pointer by George, the Clippers pulled within eight three times midway through the fourth quarter, but a rally was never sustained.
The game all but ended with four minutes to play on a most fitting play, when Bledsoe carelessly threw an errant pass into his own backcourt. The turnover was scooped up by Valanciunas, who rumbled ahead for a dunk.
The Clippers played without Nicolas Batum, who missed his fifth game while in the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols, and Marcus Morris Sr., who was rested on the second night of a back-to-back in what Lue called a precaution against playing him too many minutes too soon after returning from a balky knee.
Amir Coffey started at power forward for both of them.
Morris “has been off for a month and to come back and try to play a back-to-back his third game back, that’s gonna be tough,” Lue said.
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