Clippers fail to finish quarters strong in close loss to the Hawks

The Clippers couldn’t cease the bleeding to finish the second quarter Friday.

They may not discover solutions on the finish of the third quarter, both.

And down simply 4 factors with 36 seconds to play, after a livid 10-2 run that turned what seemed to be an Atlanta blowout into one other inconceivable comeback, their errors within the closing possessions of the fourth value them an opportunity to start a three-game journey with a victory.

Intent on getting a fast shot to get the ball again earlier than the fourth quarter ended, the Clippers as an alternative have been stymied by the Hawks’ switching protection and couldn’t get a shot till Reggie Jackson hoisted a contested three-pointer with 18 seconds to play, a miss that was collected by the Hawks on an evening once they outrebounded the Clippers by 11.

Coach Tyronn Lue stated he needed to name a timeout earlier than the possession started, with 36 seconds left, however that officers didn’t look his manner.

“The officiating tonight, we didn’t get a very good whistle,” Lue stated, additionally referring to a third-quarter ejection of beginning ahead Marcus Morris Sr.

The Clippers’ 112-106 loss drops them to 35-34. Morris was ejected after he argued a touring name. Official Jason Goldenberg whistled Morris for 2 technical fouls inside three seconds, and he stormed off the court docket, tossing his headband, after ending 4 for 12 from the sector for 13 factors in 24 minutes.

Morris’ ejection wasn’t the one wrench thrown into Lue’s rotation. Backup heart Isaiah Hartenstein’s three fouls inside his first two minutes within the first half pressured beginning heart Ivica Zubac to play 36 minutes, one off his season excessive, and he completed with 24 factors and 12 rebounds, tying Jackson for the crew excessive in factors.

Trae Younger led the Hawks (32-34) with 27 factors.

Down 10 factors halfway via the second quarter, the Clippers started a 19-2 run that includes six free throws — they took simply two within the first quarter — and bookended by Nicolas Batum’s baskets. The primary of his two straight three-pointers dropped with 6:16 earlier than halftime and a layup pushed the Clippers forward by seven with 2:19 to play.

Then they let go of the rope, the Hawks scoring the ultimate eight factors of the primary half to steer 60-59 at halftime after 5 straight Clippers misses. From there till Morris’ ejection greater than eight minutes later, the groups performed almost even.

However the Clippers scored solely three factors within the last three minutes of the quarter after Morris’ exit, and with almost seven minutes to play in regulation Hawks heart and former Chino Hills Excessive star Onyeka Okongwu’s second dunk in as many possessions left Zubac splayed on the court docket beneath the rim and the Clippers going through an eight-point deficit.

Three empty Clippers possessions later, Kevin Huerter’s three-pointer to beat the shot clock pushed the Hawks’ result in 9, triggering a Clippers timeout. Two minutes later the Clippers blitzed a second defender at Younger, and two passes later Huerter drilled one other shot-clock-beating three-pointer to go up 106-96 with three minutes to play, begetting a Clippers comeback that fell simply brief once more on the finish.