There are worse things than committing 40 fouls in a game, chimed a chorus of Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
The worst thing they did in dropping a 94-87 decision to the Nuggets in Thursday’s Game 3 of their first-round playoff series was turn the ball over 25 times.
“Basically, we had 25 turnovers and the second-chance points that we gave them were critical. And having said that, we were still there late in the game and had a chance to win,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said Friday. “It was a bad game from our standpoint, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that we can still make this a successful trip for ourselves.”
A win at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night would do that.
“We can’t turn the ball over and let them get out to the open court, can’t let them get to the offensive boards,” he said. “Those two areas are paramount.”
Even though there were 68 fouls called in the two-hour, 53-minute game, “I thought the officiating was fine,” said Dunleavy. “There was a change in how the game was called, but the players have to adjust to that. As in any game you find calls you don’t like, but that’s part of doing business. It had nothing to do with our losing the game. It was more the offensive end that bothered me than the defensive end.
“Our turnovers were what was most costly.”
Yet the foul trouble clearly inhibited the Clippers, Dunleavy admitted.
Star forward Elton Brand fouled out with 3:07 left. With Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin suspended and Francisco Elson less than effective against Brand in the first two games, the Nuggets started Eduardo Najera against Brand and kept rotating fresh players at him.
“He did pretty good, but it’s not just a one-man defensive effort,” said Brand, who finished with 17 points and was 6-of-15 shooting. “It’s Earl Boykins sitting in my lap. It’s Carmelo Anthony doubling down. It’s not just one guy.
“You know being in foul trouble, you always second-guess yourself. You’re on the break, you don’t want to charge, you don’t want to do too much and pick up another quick foul.”
When the teams meet in Game 4, Brand said the Clippers need to play better fundamental basketball.
“We just have to be patient, cut down the turnovers and rebound the ball, play the way we did the first two games,” Brand said.
Brand and guard Sam Cassell said the loss puts the pressure back on the Clippers.
“The pressure’s on us,” Cassell said. “We want to go back home with a chance to close this thing out. So I think the pressure’s definitely on us.”
Footnote
Center Chris Kaman (ankle) said he got through Game 3 in good shape and expects to be even stronger in Game 4. “I’m doing good,” he said. “It feels pretty good. The altitude kind of messes with you a little bit. It’s not like a huge factor, but if you have to go up and down a lot, that’s not good.”
Joseph Sanchez can be reached at 303-820-5458 or jsanchez@denverpost.com.
