Clippers Drop Second Straight to Pelicans as Losing Streak Hits Four

The Los Angeles Clippers just keep finding new ways to lose, and Thursday night was no different as they fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 105-99, at the Smoothie King Center.

It was the second straight loss to the Pelicans in as many nights and the fourth consecutive defeat for the Clippers, who are now 34-36 on the season and sliding at the worst possible time.

The Clippers were without three of their most important offensive players on Thursday, as Kawhi Leonard (ankle sprain), Darius Garland (toe) and Bennedict Mathurin (toe) were all ruled out.

Leonard had tried to play through his ankle injury on Wednesday night, but he was visibly limping throughout the game and was far from his usual self, and the team decided to shut him down for the second leg of the back-to-back.

Without those three, head coach Tyronn Lue had to piece together a lineup that simply could not generate enough offense to keep up with the Pelicans.

The Clippers shot just 46.1 percent from the field and an ugly 31.3 percent from three, while also going just 19-for-32 from the free throw line.

That last number is the one that stings the most, because those 13 missed free throws were the difference in a six-point game.

New Orleans was led by Trey Murphy III, who poured in 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting while adding five rebounds and two assists.

Murphy, who is averaging 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season, has been one of the more underrated scorers in the league and he showed exactly why on Thursday night by hitting five threes and attacking the basket with ease.

Saddiq Bey was nearly as good, chipping in 20 points, six rebounds and six assists while connecting on three of his four three-point attempts.

On the Clippers’ side, John Collins did everything he could to keep the game close with 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting, but it was not enough.

Collins, who is averaging 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds on the season, was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise flat performance.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points off the bench, and Isaiah Jackson had 13, but the Clippers never led by more than five in a game that felt like they were playing from behind for most of the night.

The loss drops the Clippers into a tie in the loss column with both the Golden State Warriors (33-36) and the Portland Trail Blazers (34-36), making every game from here on out feel like a playoff game.

With just 12 games left in the regular season and no clear timeline on when Mathurin, Kawhi, and Garland will all be healthy at the same time, the Clippers are in a tough spot that could get even tougher.

The next stop is Dallas on Saturday, and the Clippers better figure something out quickly because the Western Conference is not waiting around for anyone.