The Los Angeles Clippers had no answer for the dominant San Antonio Spurs in a 118-99 loss on Thursday, but Clippers head coach Ty Lue thought there was one way that the Clippers could have kept themselves in the game, but they didn't take advantage of it.

Overall, the Clippers had a deeply poor shooting night. They shot just 43% from the field and and an unfortunate 19% from three point range, going just 5-27. 

Lue doesn't think it had to be that way, though. While 27 three point attempts isn't a small number by any means, Lue saw opportunities throughout the game where the Clippers could have taken even more deep shots and possibly surged back into the game.

“I thought we probably should’ve shot about 12 more. We turned down some open threes... Defensively, they attacked us, and then offensively I thought they pressured us, and we couldn't create an advantage," Lue said (via Clippers). 

The Clippers have the weapons to be offensive threats and while their final numbers definitely didn't reflect the overall skill they have in shooting the ball, some more confidence sand aggressiveness could serve them well.

A hot three point shooting night is a surefire way for any team to go off on a scoring run and in games like Thursday's, where the Clippers were physically outmatched against the size of the Spurs, taking over from long range is one of the few ways that they would be able to turn the tide.

Now that the Clippers have a healthy chance at a playoff run, games like Thursday's reveal exactly what they're lacking and what they'll need to improve on to make themselves contenders. 

The Spurs are naturally positioned to be one of the better teams in the Western Conference and when it comes to the physical battle, there are few teams that can measure up with them.

The same can be said about the Oklahoma City Thunder, another top contender in the Western Conference.

The Clippers have found themselves recently deprived of physicality with injuries to two key centers, and as a result their slim chances of keeping up in the physical battle against the top teams in their conference have become even more of a long shot. 

That's why Lue's desire to see more aggressiveness from beyond the arc is such fitting advice. Unlocking that next gear offensively looks like it could be the Clippers' greatest strength and as the clock is ticking on the playoffs, there isn't much time for them to access that next gear.