Behind Ty Lue, The LA Clippers Are Now The NBA’s Comeback Kings

Never tell Ty Lue the odds. They will not matter to him.

The NBA community discovered that in June 2016, precisely when the final buzzer sounded in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. After leading the charge for his Cavaliers — while famously yelling at LeBron James at halftime and challenging him to lock in defensively — Lue couldn’t hold in his emotions. He sprinted across the floor with his arms raised to the sky.

Although he was in the vicinity of a few Golden State players hanging their heads in defeat, Lue didn’t care. He earned the moment of celebration, which was virtually an out-of-body experience for the 39-year-old. Lue reached the top of the mountain as a head coach coming from small-town roots, already knowing he wouldn’t receive the credit for an historic 3-1 comeback on the grandest stage. Predictably, it would be LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reaping those benefits.

Since that unfathomable series win over the greatest regular season team in history, the Legend of Lue has only grown. His coaching reputation has skyrocketed in the past five years, with his contemporaries and critics appreciating his tactical brilliance, risk-taking mentality, and ability to communicate effectively with his players.

After being unfairly stripped of any credit or praise for his job in Cleveland and handed the blame for every loss, the script has flipped. Lue’s second head coaching tenure started just 14 months ago in Los Angeles when he succeeded his longtime friend, Doc Rivers. From the outside, the coaching change was met with a few eye-rolls. The national audience largely didn’t view it as a meaningful upgrade at the time, considering Lue was already on the coaching staff during a season the Clippers fell short of expectations.

However, in the last calendar year, Lue’s Clippers have completely revamped the franchise’s identity. His impact on the locker room has created a work environment that empowers every member of the team, including players on minimum contracts or two-way deals.

Aside from the general attitude Lue carries on a daily basis, his track record of pulling the Clippers out of miserable deficits and remaining positive through any adversity is what resonates with the team. It extends beyond the players, too. It’s recognized and valued by his staff members who assist him with the gameplan, as everyone knows their voices will be heard and their ideas won’t be dismissed.

The respect and trust Lue has earned from his team was validated by their trip to the Western Conference Finals last June.

But make no mistake about it. This recent string of unbelievable comeback victories and second half turnarounds is just adding to the powerful support he has from his players. Just when you thought LA couldn’t top the 25-point comeback in Game 6 of the West Finals versus Utah, they have repeatedly asked us to hold their beer.

On Tuesday, the Clippers continued to shock the NBA universe — especially bettors, who likely suffered a heart attack watching them rally yet again.

Without Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Marcus Morris (three starters), Lue was already short-handed in the middle of this daunting eight-game road trip. The Clippers rolled into Washington D.C. hoping to bounce back from a loss in New York.

Midway through the second quarter, it was evident Washington had other plans. The Wizards were enjoying a beatdown, leading the Clippers by as much as 35 points.

With 1:20 left in the second quarter, Lue’s team was trailing 66-31. Most of the Clippers fans in attendance were likely regretting their purchase, and Lue’s starters were simply flat on both ends of the court. The energy level discrepancy was apparent between the two lineups.

Reggie Jackson, the team’s highest-usage player with George and Leonard out, started 1-of-9 from the field. Ivica Zubac started 0-of-5. Nic Batum, who had already been logging high minute totals leading up to this game, didn’t seem to have enough pop defensively.

None of those three starters played a single minute of the second half. Lue did something he’s never been afraid to try, but what a lot of professional coaches wouldn’t have the nerve to do.

He benched his veterans and relied on the younger contributors to give them life. If they had the offensive juice to claw back into the game, it would make for a cool story. If you asked Lue for the honest truth, they probably wouldn’t win, but it would at least serve as a learning moment for everyone involved. Plus, his veterans could rest for a back-to-back the very next night in Orlando.

In similar fashion to the Clippers’ 22-point comeback last season versus Atlanta, Lue’s reserves made a push. Their younger talent jolted the team forward, slowly chipping away at the Wizards’ lead.

By the end of the third quarter, LA had already trimmed the deficit from 35 to 17. With another 12 minutes left to play, Lue had to make a decision of whether to bring back the Jackson-Batum-Zubac trio, or ride it out with the hot hands.

Last March against the Hawks, he eventually allowed the starters to re-enter the game once Luke Kennard and Terance Mann provided a spark.

This time? He rolled with the young guns, including Kennard and Mann.

Jay Scrubb logged 17 minutes after only appearing in 14 games up to that point. Justise Winslow, who hasn’t been able to stay on the floor due to offensive struggles, played 23 minutes. Rookie Brandon Boston Jr. logged 20 minutes, and backup center Isaiah Hartenstein got the nod over Zubac down the stretch.

In a second half that left Washington completely stunned, Lue’s rotations worked. The Clippers rallied to destroy the Wizards 80-49 in the final 24 minutes to secure a one-point win.

The breakdown of LA’s efficiency in both halves was just psychotic.

• First half: 36 points on 50 possessions (72.0 offensive rating)
• Second half: 80 points on 57 possessions (140.4 offensive rating)

“Our team keeps scrapping,” Lue said after the game. “Me and my coaching staff, we just find ways and find combinations that’s going to scrap and get it done.”

Managing to fight back from down 35 points is one thing. On the surface, that should be the most impressive part of the Clippers’ comeback win on Tuesday.

Looking at what actually transpired in the final minute of action, though, is where you’ll see the biggest jaw-dropper.

The Clippers trailed 113-105 with just 36.8 seconds left after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope got a transition dunk off a Kyle Kuzma outlet pass. At that moment, the Wizards’ win probability was at 98%, per ESPN’s live model.

A few possessions later, with the Clippers inbounding the ball as Washington led 115-109 with only 10.8 seconds on the clock, the Wizards’ win probability climbed to nearly 99%.

Teams just don’t lose in those scenarios. Factoring in homecourt advantage, they really don’t lose.

However, not every team is going against Ty Lue or Luke Kennard, who have been two incredible saviors for the Clippers over the last two seasons.

Despite not having a timeout left, 10.8 seconds still feels like an eternity for a resilient group. Kennard received the inbound 35 feet from the basket, noticed KCP standing right outside the 3-point arc, and decided to pull up. He splashed home a triple with just 29% shot probability, per Clippers’ CourtVision, and cut the deficit to 115-112:

When discussing this insane turn of events, many will point to the final three from Kennard. But this one was just as important, and it highlighted his quick decision-making. If he doesn’t pull up from 35 feet, the shot becomes much less open after taking a dribble or two. This was his best-possible opportunity to make it a one-possession game, and he took advantage of the space.

Along with a heap of good luck, miraculous victories also require head-scratching decisions by the opposing team. That’s true in every instance. Just look at the Falcons choking away their Super Bowl lead during their offensive possessions.

For the Wizards on Tuesday, a loss could’ve been avoided. After Kennard’s deep bomb, Washington was called for a five-second violation on the sideline inbound … after a timeout to make sure that didn’t happen. That’s just inexcusable.

The Wizards also botched the final possession of the game, as they didn’t even try to foul Justise Winslow when the Clippers were bringing the ball up the floor. Bradley Beal had every chance to literally grab Winslow and force the refs to call a foul, which would’ve sent a poor shooter to the line and effectively ended the game.

Instead, they let Winslow march the ball up the court, hand it off to a 3-point sniper in Kennard, and then opted to foul him in the act of shooting:

It didn’t matter if there was a 25% shot probability on that attempt. It didn’t matter if Kennard was off-balanced and absorbing contact. If you disrespect the basketball gods and refuse to play it smartly, you will get burned. Kennard iced the game at the line, completing the four-point play.

Perhaps the most ridiculous fact in the comeback victory: The Clippers went on a 11-2 run in the last 36.8 seconds of the game after scoring just 13 points in the second quarter. They legitimately made up for a poor 12-minute stretch in less than 40 seconds.

When does that ever happen?

It was officially the second-largest comeback in NBA history, behind only the 1996-97 Utah Jazz, who overcame a 36-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets.

• 1996-97 Jazz: Down 36 vs. Denver, won by four.
• 2021-22 Clippers: Down 35 vs. Washington, won by one.
• 2009-10 Kings: Down 35 vs. Chicago, won by four.
• 2020-21 Celtics: Down 32 vs. San Antonio, won by three (OT)
• 1975-76 Warriors: Down 31 vs. Milwaukee, won by one.

Under Lue, the Clippers are used to this. The team has seemingly taken the identity of its coach, refusing to care about the scoreboard and not going away until the dust settles.

“I’m not going to quit. I’m never going to give up,” Lue said. “No matter how hard the circumstances are. With me coming from Mexico, Missouri, you never give up. You always try to fight and keep pushing through. I wanted to instill in these guys, and a lot of these guys have that.”

Veterans, especially ones in their early thirties when the pride level is still extremely high, could easily be shaken by a random benching. Additionally, a lot of starters wouldn’t be receptive to their coach “sending a message,” or trying to get a point across by opting to play end-of-rotation guys over them.

Yet, everything is different for the Clippers. On the final possession, Serge Ibaka, who only played four minutes, is celebrating with the bench. Jackson is jumping so high in the air, you almost feared he would get injured. Zubac is running around in circles with his hands on his head. The entire bench is showing its exuberance while their screams are met with genuine disbelief.

“Our guys cheer – no matter who’s in the game – we’re going to cheer for one another,” Lue said. “No matter who’s playing. That’s what our starters did. They just kept talking to the young guys and kept telling them to stay with it.”

The Clippers’ veterans carry themselves with humility and have shown how supportive they are when it comes to the rookies and bench contributors. Jackson is a monumental part of that camaraderie, as he strikes an ideal balance between playfulness and remaining focused.

Lue mentioned that Jackson came into the locker room at halftime on Tuesday, with the Clippers trailing 66-36, and said, “We’re right where we want to be!”

Although Lue wasn’t thrilled in the moment, it showed exactly what the Clippers have built over the last two seasons: A team that never believes they are finished. They will never accept a loss if there’s time left on the clock.

To some degree, Tuesday’s game reminded me of the 2017 Cavaliers-Pacers first-round series. Game 3, to be exact.

On the road in Indianapolis, Lue’s Cavaliers trailed 74-49 at the half. It was a 25-point hole, and Cleveland very easily could’ve rolled over and prepped for Game 4. They already had a 2-0 series lead and knew they a superhuman force named LeBron James, who wasn’t going to lose in the opening round.

Realizing his team was getting cooked defensively, Lue did the unthinkable. He chose to ride with his bench mob, which included an older Deron Williams, Kyle Korver, Channing Frye, and Iman Shumpert. He paired those guys with LeBron for extended stretches.

Was it to prove a point? Perhaps.

Was it simply trying to put the best defensive pieces around their leader? Maybe.

Was it gutsy to only play two max players, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, less than 10 minutes in the second half? Absolutely.

But, Lue didn’t care one bit about the perception. He only cared about one thing – doing whatever it took to revive his team’s energy.

The Cavaliers blitzed Indy by 30 points in the second half, 70-40, and escaped with a five-point win on the road. He surrounded LeBron with shooters and guys that would leave everything on the floor because their jobs depended on it. And it worked.

That instantly became the best single-game comeback of Lue’s coaching career:

Little did he know, it would be overtaken by the 37-point turnaround against Utah, also in the playoffs:

To top it off, nobody in their right mind would expect a team to overcome three deficits of 24-plus points in a single season.

The Clippers have now accomplished it, and all three have happened in the last two weeks. They trailed by 25 against Denver on Jan. 11, only to claw their way back and secure a win:

Against Lue’s protégé, Doc Rivers, the Clippers found a way to battle back in Philadelphia despite finding themselves in a 24-point hole midway through the third quarter:

And of course, Tuesday’s outcome may never happen again. I’m sure we will see a 35-point comeback at some point in the future, but likely not a team trailing by six with 10.8 seconds remaining:

For better or worse, this has become Lue’s specialty. He is never worried about the outside criticism or heavy scrutiny as it pertains to in-game coaching decisions. He knows he’s never in jeopardy of losing the locker room, or having players feel disrespected by a second-half benching, mostly because of the time he takes early in the season to build everyone’s trust.

“That’s the kind of culture we want to set here,” Lue said when asked about the team’s ability to adapt.

Thinking outside the box and going away from what’s considered “traditional” is how Lue prefers to coach. In the same manner Erik Spoelstra has thrived in Miami and Nick Nurse has become an innovative coach for Toronto, Lue is showing off his own strengths in LA.