Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke openly after Monday’s 128-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, emphasizing professionalism despite the defeat. “Get some rest and get ready to play,” Lue said when asked how the team can rebound.
Lue highlighted the impact of Tyrese Maxey in the first quarter. “He shoots 10 threes a game and with his speed… the big job is to get back and the guard keeps coming. He made some tough step-back threes,” he explained.
The Clippers coach was asked about navigating trade rumors surrounding James Harden. “Try to keep playing games, keep trying to stack together, just be professional and come to work every day and ready to play,” Lue said.
On whether trade chatter affected his players, Lue added, “I’m not sure.” When asked if got anything out of that, the coach replied by saying, “I don’t know. Ask him. I’m not a player.”
When pressed about potential Harden moves, Lue declined specifics but praised the guard’s contributions. “He means a lot to our team. We’ve seen him the last three years. He means a lot,” he said.
Lue acknowledged the timing of trade rumors but emphasized focus. “We got to be professional. No matter what the rumors may be… we just didn’t have a lot of juice,” he said, referencing the back-to-back schedule against a well-coached 76ers squad.
The Clippers, missing Harden for personal reasons, struggled to keep pace with Philadelphia’s offensive firepower. Maxey led the Sixers with 29 points, including seven three-pointers, while Dominick Barlow added 26 points and 16 rebounds. Joel Embiid scored 24 points in his continued return from a right ankle injury.
Los Angeles relied on Kawhi Leonard, who posted 29 points, and Jordan Miller, who contributed 21 off the bench, but could not overcome Philadelphia’s 23-point halftime lead. The loss drops the Clippers to 23-26, holding ninth in the Western Conference and within play-in contention.
Lue maintained that focus on fundamentals remains crucial as the trade deadline approaches. “We got to come out and be professional and play. It’s a tough back-to-back… when we try to come back, you spend so much energy trying to get back in the game. It’s tough to beat those type of teams,” he said.
The Clippers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, while Philadelphia travels to Golden State to finish its back-to-back. Trade speculation involving Harden and Darius Garland continues to draw attention, but Lue emphasized team execution above all.
