The Clippers are off to a 1-3 start after two home losses

By Isabel Gonzalez Sports Reporter

The Clippers couldn't quite shake off a bad start and had to swallow a 92-79 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday night at the Staples Center. That loss dropped the Clippers to 1-3 to start the season and that includes two home losses. "I thought the flow was nasty for us offensively," said Clipper head coach Tyronn Lue after the game on Wednesday. "I thought we did a lot of over dribbling. We missed shots and I thought we were flat just from the start. We didn't have a lot of energy."

Cleveland did not play great, but they did dominate the game. The Cavaliers had a 32-14 lead at the end of the first quarter when the Clippers shot 4 for 21 from the field and 1 for 11 from the three-point line. Only two of the starters, Ivica Zubac and Eric Bledsoe made a field goal. Los Angeles registered twice the number of turnovers in the first period than baskets made. That was not the best start for the Clippers, but they tried to get it together in the third quarter.

As the clock read 8:36 in the third period, a three pointer by Nicolas Batum cut the deficit to three points. Batum helped Los Angeles make a big push in the right direction. He scored seven points in the first half, but he turned up the heat when he recorded nine more points less than five minutes into the third quarter.

Reggie Jackson of the Clippers also woke up. He had not scored until late in the second quarter. He scored only two points in the first half. However, he made up for it in the third quarter when he scored 14 points. "I was hooping," said Jackson. "Honesty the ball was moving a lot. I thought that was a benefit for us, moving our bodies, us moving on defense and ball movement. That's been our key this year and the same last year."

Someone that did not have a good third quarter was Paul George. He picked up his fourth foul and that was the same amount of baskets that he had scored up to that point.

The Clippers looked alive after halftime, but they still trailed Cleveland 72-64 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. At the end of the night their offense left a lot to be desired. Los Angeles shot 35.6% from the field and 22% from behind the arc. They even struggled from the free throw line, shooting 61%. "I thought we got some good looks," said George. "It was just a flat night for us. We all struggled shooting and so it's one of those games man, nobody could score."

The Clippers travel to Portland on Friday and return to the Staples Center on Monday, November 1, to face the Oklahoma Thunder at 7:30 p.m.