Clippers vs. Hawks Game Recap: Season hits a low

The LA Clippers suffered arguably their worst loss of the season, 110-90, to the short-handed Atlanta Hawks.

Summary

It may not have been a Sunday matinee game, but it sure felt like it. The Clippers energy from the start was non-existent. The Hawks swarmed the Clippers on the glass and did not look at all like a team missing several key players.

Thanks to a big first quarter by Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers only trailed by two, 31-29, at the end of the first period. But the second quarter, when Leonard went to the bench, was when things first got out of hand.

The Hawks took advantage of several Clippers turnovers to get out in transition and get easy buckets. They built a ten point lead and it just kept getting worse from there. The Clippers trailed by as many as 21 points in the second quarter before managing to get it to 61-44 at the half.

For fans expecting some sort of a comeback, it was not to be. The third quarter was more of the same, with the Clippers looking completely out of sync and the Hawks looking like the better team.

While Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue left the starters in for quite some time, he ultimately emptied the bench late in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Paul George admitted that from the outside it appears as if the Clippers think they can just turn on the jets whenever they feel like it, while suggesting a troubling thought this late in the season.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent. We want to establish an identity,” George said. “I’ve always spoke about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. When your team has an identity, teams know what they’re going up against, and right now I don’t think we have an identity.”

George did mention that there’s a belief among the team that they can figure it out and ultimately get 16 wins in the postseason as has been their goal. But a more consistent and determined effort has to start rather quickly.

“We got to give a better effort. We got to have more intensity and play with just a little more pride,” George said. “I think collectively we got to have a little bit more pride when we step out on the floor.”