Miller points to a specific area of emphasis for Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers dropped a 128-110 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, and while the final score was lopsided, the message coming out of the locker room was focused.
Jordan Miller spoke after the game about what this team needs to bring moving forward, especially with a massive Friday matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers looming on the schedule.
"When we think about playing basketball, these are the type of games, and obviously the postseason, that you play for," Miller said. "I think we have the right mindset. We just need to bring energy from the jump. We started off slow against them last time and we almost came back, but that cushion they had really helped them. It's about attacking these dudes with the right energy."
Miller Has Been Steady Off the Bench
Miller has quietly turned into one of the more dependable pieces in the Clippers rotation over the past few weeks.
The third-year guard has scored in double figures in eight of his last 10 games while averaging 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 55.4 percent shooting during that stretch.
He came into this season averaging 9.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and his consistency off the bench has given the Clippers a lift they badly need as they push toward the postseason.
Wednesday was a rough one for the whole team, though. Chet Holmgren went off for 30 points and 14 rebounds, and the Thunder built a massive early lead that Los Angeles never seriously threatened.
Kawhi Leonard finished with 20 points but the Clippers could not find answers defensively, and the game felt out of reach well before the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City clinched the best record in the NBA with the win and has now won seven straight.
Why Friday Against Portland Is Everything
The loss dropped the Clippers to 41-39 on the season, still holding the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Portland sits right behind them at 40-40 after losing 112-101 to San Antonio on Wednesday.
Those two teams meet Friday night at Moda Center, and the stakes could not be bigger for either side.
The difference between eighth and ninth in the play-in tournament is massive. The eighth seed only needs one win to advance into the playoff bracket, while the ninth seed has to win twice just to get there.
The Clippers have been one of the best stories in the league this season after starting 6-21 before Christmas, posting a 35-18 record since then to claw their way into the postseason picture.
A win over Portland on Friday would go a long way toward locking down that eighth spot and avoiding the extra elimination game that comes with finishing ninth.
Miller's comments about starting slow echo what happened in the first half against the Thunder, when Oklahoma City raced out to a 25-point advantage and never looked back.
The Clippers cannot afford that same type of start against a Portland team fighting for its own playoff life.
Friday is exactly the game Miller was talking about, the one you play for, and the energy has to be there from the opening tip.