OCEANSIDE – With their third game in four days, the San Diego Clippers (11-12) wanted to continue their win streak against the South Bay Lakers (7-15) but were unsuccessful as they lost 120-105 at Frontwave Arena.
It was a sluggish start for the Clip’s as they fell down 27-10 in the first quarter. “We played good most of the game, it was our sixth game in ten days, so hopefully we can get some rest and keep it going on Thursday,” said Braxton Key postgame. That fatigue, after playing so much in so little time, probably carried over to the start of the game.
They were able to crawl back midway through the second however, going on an 18-8 run to finally gain their first lead of the night. By the end of the first half, they had a 56-53 lead on the Lakers, which considering their start, was a good thing.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. was converted to a two-way contract with the Clippers, which means the team will now be using him a lot more directly now. Key mentioned, “He’s a really good player, find ways to get him shots. He was struggling (the first few games) but he’ll figure it out; he’s a two-way player for a reason.”
Despite the relatively solid shooting night for San Diego, head coach Paul Hewitt believed otherwise. “We didn’t make enough shots. Give (the Lakers) credit, they played well. I was really impressed with their cutting and ball movement.”
In the second half, both teams were throwing punches at each other, with neither team really able to break away, which continued all the way through mid-way in the fourth quarter when the Clippers couldn’t hit timely shots, and a short run by South Bay gave them a six point lead.
“We had a really good (first half), going into the fourth quarter we were definitely still in striking distance, but (South Bay) made some shots and created separation,” said Hewitt.
With just under 5 minutes left in the game, it was a double-digit deficit for the Clippers and it was visible the team had run out of gas.
DJ Carton led San Diego with 20 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Cam Christie had 20 points of his own, and Braxton Key recorded his 12th double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Quincy Olivari led South Bay with a triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The last game on this home stand for the Clips’ will be in a matchup against the Motor City Cruise on March 6. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside.