On May 4, Beijing time, with the Clippers losing 101-114 to the Mavericks, their playoff journey came to an abrupt end, and the total score was 2-4 to bid farewell to the championship this season. After the game, news poured in from inside and outside the Clippers, and several of them were particularly eye-catching: Harden's post-game remarks sparked controversy again, with head coach Lu expressing his determination to stay with the team, and Willis reluctantly setting an embarrassing historical record.
Harden is still shirking responsibility!
As one of the key players for the Clippers, James Harden's words in an interview after the team's elimination once again put himself on the cusp. He emphasised the quality of the squad and said they should have the ability to win the title, but then he turned to the importance of fitness and suggested that injuries were a key factor in the team's performance. Harden singled out the situation where Kawhi Leonard was eager to play but couldn't perform at his full strength due to injury, and his rhetoric seemed to be looking for an external reason for the team's loss, rather than directly taking personal responsibility. Such a statement, in the eyes of fans and the media, is somewhat shirking, after all, in the world of competitive sports, the performance of each player directly affects the success or failure of the team.
Coach Lu is eager to stay with the team and show loyalty
In stark contrast to Harden's comments, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue showed a strong determination to stay with the team when talking about his future. Coach Lu made it clear that he has no intention of drifting around, but wants to stay with the Clippers and grow with the team. He highly praised the professionalism and support of the team's owner, Steve Ballmer, and the president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, and expressed his trust in the team's management and his expectation for future cooperation. Lu's words undoubtedly brought a touch of warmth to the Clippers team in the trough, and also sent a signal to the outside world that the Clippers will not easily change direction because of a temporary setback, and they are united and ready to meet the challenges ahead.
Wei Shao is embarrassed to record, and his state is a mystery
And in terms of player performance, Russell Westbrook's name is linked to a not-so-glamorous record this time. In this game against the Mavericks, Wei Shao only played 9 minutes, felt cold, hit only 2 of 7 shots, and scored nothing outside the three-point line, and finally contributed 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal, with a plus/minus of minus 8 on the court.
What's even more worrying is that this isn't the only recent slump in Willis, as statistics show that in the last five playoff games, he has shot a measly 19% from the field and hit just 8 of 42 shots, setting a record for the lowest percentage of at least 40 shots in five playoff games in the last 50 years. This embarrassing statistic not only reflects Wei Shao's current form struggles, but also raises questions about his future performance.