Doc Rivers delivered a scathing indictment of the Los Angeles Clippers following their overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers blew a 21-point lead in regulation against a Mavericks team missing Kristaps Porzingis. They then failed to close out Game 4 in overtime, allowing a Luka Doncic game-winner at the buzzer. That was enough for Rivers to brand his team “emotionally weak” following the defeat.
Doc: "Honestly, I thought we were very emotionally weak tonight."
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) August 23, 2020
Doc: "We’re not an emotionally weak team but today we were. It is what it is."
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) August 23, 2020
This isn’t what you want to hear in the opening round of the playoffs. It’s clearly meant as a wake-up call as the Clippers struggle with Dallas more than most expected them to. Blowing a 21-point lead at this juncture of the year just can’t happen, especially with a chance to go up 3-1 in the series.
Rivers’ comments have some similarities to what he said about a different group he coached. Clearly, he doesn’t want this Clippers team — a legitimate title contender — to go the same way that one did.
