Lue wanted to touch base with his players, starting with George, his All-Star guard who missed two costly free throws late in the Clippers’ heartbreaking loss in Game 2 in Phoenix.
With an injured Kawhi Leonard watching from a suite in Staples Center with his family, the Clippers defended, scrapped and fought like their season was at stake.
“We were on the plane, we talked about it,” George said of the Clippers players all putting Game 2 behind them.
“I moved on,” he said of his missed free throws with 8.2 seconds left with the Clippers up one before the Suns escaped with a 104-103 Game 2 win.
While George led the way once again with Leonard out for the fifth straight game, the Clippers received a total team effort on Thursday night.
Center Ivica Zubac, who was a nonfactor for much of the first two rounds due to matchups, had his biggest playoff game with 15 points and 16 rebounds.
and once again had an impactful third quarter like he did in that series-clinching Game 6 against the Utah Jazz.
Phoenix cut the lead to six in the fourth, but Beverley blocked Booker, and Jackson scored on a driving layup before burying a 3 to push it back to 11.
Lue marveled at his team’s resiliency, highlighting Morris scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench while playing with an injured left knee.
“We have to match their physicality — I thought we did that,” George said of the Clippers’ effort.