The Los Angeles Clippers have a long list of issues ailing them this season. Between the Chris Paul saga, the Kawhi Leonard drama, and the disappointing offseason acquisition, the Clippers’ on-court problems have largely gone under the radar. Their defensive struggles have been well-documented, but another glaring weakness showed its face once again on Thursday against the Rockets. The Clippers were tied with the Rockets with less than five minutes left in the game. After a series of blunders down the stretch, the Clippers lost another close game, officially making them the worst clutch team in the NBA.
The NBA defines “clutch” time as a situation where the score is within five points in the last five minutes of the game. The Clippers have had 12 clutch games this season based on this definition. After Thursday night’s loss, LA has won only two of those. No team has a worse winning percentage in clutch games than the Clippers this season. If the Clippers had won half of these close games, as it would be expected of them, they would be 10-15 and in a play-in spot right now.
Considering that the Clippers are the oldest and most experienced team in the league, one would expect them to perform well in the clutch. They should have more composure and make fewer mistakes than their opponents. Plus, they have James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, who should be elite closers. Yet, the end of the Rockets game showed a team beating itself with unacceptable blunders.