The Los Angeles Clippers on Friday took a page out of Matt Eberflus’ special playbook specifically reserved for poor late-game clock management.
The Minnesota Timberwolves led the Clippers 93-92 and had possession with just over 30 seconds left in their contest at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The Clippers got the crucial stop they needed but LAC guard Kris Dunn lost control of the ball after getting the defensive rebound.
The T-Wolves regained possession with about a two-second difference between the shot and game clock. Every armchair coach knows that teams need to intentionally foul in that situation to stop the clock. Even if the Timberwolves were to convert on both free throws, the Clippers would have still had a chance at a game-tying shot.
Instead, the Clippers inexplicably let the clock run out. The Timberwolves grabbed two offensive rebounds and kept possession until the game was over.
Clippers just wanted to go home bruh 🤣
Not fouling is crazy 😭 pic.twitter.com/w4czyBybaq
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) November 30, 2024
Just like Eberflus’ Bears on Thursday, the Clippers ended up taking home their final timeout rather than using it. Once the Clippers wasted a few seconds without fouling, the team basically committed to letting the shot clock wind down. The result ended Minnesota’s four-game losing streak.
Last-minute meltdowns seemed to be a common theme on Black Friday. The Las Vegas Raiders had it even worse to close out their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
