Kawhi Leonard unfazed by gaining homecourt advantage in playoffs: "No matter if we're the No. 1 seed or the 6th seed"
Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers got blown out 129-107 on the road against the OKC Thunder on Thursday. In doing so, they lost their season series against OKC 2-1, squandering a crucial tiebreaker should the teams finish with the same record. However, Leonard isn’t too concerned.
Following the blowout loss, the third-seeded Clippers (36-18) sit just 1.5 games behind the second-seeded Thunder (38-17) in the Western Conference standings. Additionally, they are only 2.5 games behind the first-placed Minnesota Timberwolves (39-16).
However, according to Leonard, LA is indifferent about securing the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the West playoffs. Instead, the team’s main goal is obtaining a top-six seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.
“We want to make sure that we are for sure top six and that we're trying to do the best we can every night,” Leonard said. “No matter if we're the No. 1 seed or the sixth seed, we’ve got to get better. That's the goal. That's the agenda.”
Notably, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers have dealt with numerous key injuries since he and his co-star Paul George joined the franchise in 2019. So, most would probably agree that entering the 2024 playoffs with their stars fully healthy should be their main priority.
The Clippers obtained top-four seeds and homecourt advantage in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. However, they fell short of the NBA Finals both years.
So, if LA can enter this year’s playoffs at full strength, it could mark the team’s best shot at winning a title, regardless of seeding.
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Like Kawhi Leonard, Ty Lue unconcerned about Clippers’ loss to Thunder
Similarly to Kawhi Leonard, Clippers coach Ty Lue appeared relatively unfazed following Thursday’s loss to the Thunder.
Lue highlighted how LA played well offensively, but didn’t bring the necessary defensive intensity to compete with one of the league’s top teams.
“For the most part, I thought we did a good job,” Lue said. “I thought we executed the game plan offensively. Defensively, we could have been a lot better.”
Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a game-high 31 points, four rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and three 3-pointers on 63.2% shooting. He was one of four OKC starters to finish with 17-plus points.
Meanwhile, Leonard led the way for the Clippers, recording a team-best 20 points, three rebounds and two assists on 75.0% shooting.
Notably, the contest marked the first for both teams following the 2024 NBA All-Star break, so some rust was to be expected on both sides. However, OKC appeared less affected by the time off.
The Clippers will try and bounce back when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies (20-36) on Friday. Meanwhile, the Thunder will look to win their fourth straight game when they host the Washington Wizards (9-46) on Friday.
Also Read: NBA fans hail Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he cooks former team with 31 points: "Gonna win an MVP before the Clippers win a title"