Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue explains how his team can take the next step as they continue to win games.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been the best team in the league over the last 15 games, going 12-3 during that stretch.
In their last game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers managed to hold off their crosstown rivals for a 112-104 win.
The Clippers were up 64-47 at the half and led by as many as 26 during the game.
After the game, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue expressed his disappointment in not being able to blow the Lakers out, citing turnovers as the reason why the Lakers were able to get back into the game.
The Clippers had 20 turnovers compared to only 10 for the Lakers.
Improving Upon Results
Though the Clippers are 12-3 during this run, Tyronn Lue sees an area where the team can take the next step.
"We have to take the next step. We keep getting these leads, then we lose the lead. We have to be better. We have a team down 19 at the half; we have to step on their throats and blow them out. That was our mindset at halftime," Lue said.
Lue did call the Lakers a good team and said this was a good win for his squad.
"I thought we came out with the right energy, but we couldn't sustain it. Not just the Lakers, that's anybody. You're up 20, let's blow them out. Why not?" he added.
Too Harsh?
Over their last 17 games, which is when the turnaround started for the Clippers, they are 14-3.
In their first six games during that stretch, they won each game by double digits. Their average margin of victory in those six games was 20.3, by far the best number in the league, and nearly double that of the Boston Celtics, who had the second-best margin of victory.
Things have become a little bit closer in their last eight games, where they are 7-1, but their margin of victory is just four points.
In total, during the 17 game turnaround, their margin of victory is 6.6, fourth best in the league, while their net rating is 7.2, also fourth best in the league.
No Longer Surprising Teams
It's possible that during the first six games of the turnaround, they were sneaking up on teams, given their 6-21 record at the time.
Now that they have climbed up to tenth in the West and are playing up to their pre-season potential despite injuries, teams may not be taking them as lightly.