NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CLIPPERS VS. SUNS

June 26, 2021

Tyronn Lue

LA Clippers

Game 4: Postgame

Phoenix Suns 84, Los Angeles Clippers 80

Q. What's it like in that five minute stretch for you, how painful to have miss after miss, when Phoenix is missing, too, opening the door?

TYRONN LUE: Just talking to our guys, we had I think 12 possessions in the fourth quarter to take the lead and we just couldn't get over the hump. I mean, it happens. I'm really proud of the way our guys competed and fought all night. To hold this team to 34 points in the second half, they are a powerful offense.

But our guys, I thought we competed. Couldn't make shots. Thought we got -- took it personal a few times and just kind of over-dribbled sometimes. But for the most part we competed, and that's going to happen. But like I said, I'm proud of our guys, the way they competed and we've just got to make some shots. That's it.

Q. The most accurate free throw shooting team in the NBA history this year so does that come down to legs?

TYRONN LUE: It could be. But it's no excuses at this time of the season. Guys could be a little tired. We've just got to fight through. And like I said, I have no problem with the way we fought, the way we competed. Every single guy on the floor gave us what they had and offensively it just didn't happen tonight.

Q. How frustrating is it when you guys fought so hard to come back and not see the shots go in?

TYRONN LUE: It's frustrating but you have to just keep plugging away. There's nothing you can do about it. Keep getting stops on the other end which we did. The guys, like I said, were great defensively tonight. And offensively just keep attacking and keep trying to get to the rim.

I thought the second half we made a little adjustment with Zu in the pick-and-rolls it really opened up for PG and Reggie to get downhill which was good. You know, you hate to see that, especially on your home floor, not being able to make shots, fighting all the way back from 16 down to have a chance to take the lead to being up.

But hats off to them. They made some big plays down the stretch to win the game and hats off to our guys for competing and playing the way they did, so I'm proud of our guys.

Q. So many games have come down to this thin a margin. Can you see any place where you can tip the balance and that this could go in your direction?

TYRONN LUE: You know, there's a few plays here and there but like I said, they made the plays down the stretch. The Ayton tip in with the 0.9. Tonight, we got a chance to take the lead, you know, 12 possessions and didn't do it. So we had our opportunities, like I said, just didn't fall for us.

Q. Will you guys follow-up with the league on the decision not to review?

TYRONN LUE: No, I'm not going to complain. But you know, it's crazy because everybody talks about it, because they got to review that 0.9 time-out with Ayton, and then not review it. When it comes down the stretch to a close game like this, I think you have to just check it out just to be sure. And they didn't do it so. Not that it could have made a turn in changing the game. We still could have played better. It's just part of it.

Q. You guys have overcome 2-0 deficits and staved off elimination in Dallas in Game 6. How does this feel different being down 3-1?

TYRONN LUE: Just got to take it one game at a time. Just focus on Monday's game, that's it. Not focus on winning three games. Got to take it one game at a time, and that's got to be our mindset. We beat Utah and won four games in a row. So it's very doable. We've just got to make sure we're locked in and understand what we're doing offensively. I think we've got to be more locked in offensively to beat this team.

Q. When it comes to the offense being solid, four minutes, down 14-2, was it at that point, whatever you wanted to do to start the game just didn't work?

TYRONN LUE: You've just got to read the game, feel it out for the most part. They got off to a good start. I thought they came out with a great physicality on the defensive end, switched a lot and took us out of our offensive flow and offensive rhythm. And I thought the offense got out in transition and made a couple baskets, kind of got them going. So we didn't start the game as great as we wanted to, but it's going to happen.

Q. In the second half, the emphasis was on getting back to the paint, getting back to the rim. They ran a lot of threes in that push where you almost made up the deficit in the third quarter, was that something you talked about at halftime?

TYRONN LUE: Yeah, we decided to make an adjustment with Zu and have him do something different. I'm not going to really talk about it, but allowed our guys to get downhill a little bit more and get into the paint. That's good for us and that's something we can use going into Game 5.

But first half, I thought he did a great job of shrinking the floor. I thought Ayton did a great job on being up on the pick-and-rolls; PG and Reggie really didn't have anywhere to go because there was a crowd. So, we made an adjustment in the second half which was a little bit better for us.

But if we don't have it, we've still got make the play and get off of them -- on the pick-and-roll, two-on-twos which really didn't give you a lot of outlets once you ran the pick-and-roll. But we had some good shots early we didn't make and that's just part of the game.

Q. How challenging was Deandre tonight on the boards in particular and did you see anything you could have done to limit him?

TYRONN LUE: Very challenging. When you're paying a lot of attention to CP and Devin and those guys attacking the baskets and attacking the rim, a big is going to have to come over and help. Having a smaller guy trying to box him out has been tough for us all series and we know that. That's part of it. We've got to be more physical. I've got to do a better job. We've got to do a better job on the pick-and-roll too so Zu can kind of get back and get some offensive rebounds.