When I wrote the 17th edition of my Diary of a Los Angeles Clippers Fan last week after a loss to the New Jersey Nets, I didn’t think things could get any worse.
Boy was I wrong.
The team followed up the extremely embarrassing double-digit loss to the 4-42 Nets with a 14-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the second worst team in the NBA. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they then had to play against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, aka the best team in basketball. Logic goes that if they did so bad against the bottom of the league, it was safe to imagine that they would fare even worst against the top team.
We as Clipper fans were prepared for a bad game, so no big deal right? Wrong again. Even with lowered expectations, the Clippers find new ways to sully their already battered name and torture their fans. As if to squeeze the last bit of hope from our minds, they gave up 46 points in the first quarter to the Cavs, equaling a Cleveland team record for points in a quarter, and only scored 20.
Reigning MVP LeBron James put up 23 by himself in the quarter with a stunning array of 30-foot three pointers as he hit his first seven shots and five 3′s in the first 12 minutes. So yeah, LeBron alone scored more than the Clippers did. Ouch.
And he wasn’t alone in the 3-point barrage, as the Cavs made 11 of 13 first quarter threes, tying an NBA record, and finished 16-27 from beyond the arc. By the time it was over Cleveland had won 114-89 and six of their players finished with double digit point totals, lead by Lebron and his 32 points and 11 assists. That marks the fourth straight loss for the suddenly reeling Clippers, who at 20-27 find their chances of hitting .500 and the playoff race drastically weakened.
While the Cleveland loss was no surprise, there is absolutely no excuse for losing two in a row to New Jersey and Minnesota and with the schedule including matches against playoff teams in the Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz ahead, the season will can easily be lost in the coming weeks.
And considering the fact that Mike Dunleavy Sr. still has the job as head coach (WTF?), I’ll take the pessimistic approach and assume the free fall will continue.
-Will.
“Diary of a Clippers Fan” will be published Mondays and Thursdays during the regular season.
