The Clippers had every reason to fall apart on Sunday. But no, they survived the Kings’ wild attacks at the Intuit Dome. And they did it all without their head coach, Ty Lue. Before the showdown, Lue had left the arena because of his back pain, handing over his responsibilities to assistant coach Brian Shaw. And most comfortably, he took the coaching seat on the sideline. But despite all the chaos and the last-minute changes, the Clippers kept their cool. They made it work, stepped up, and pulled off a dramatic clutch overtime win that not many saw coming. And while the action was getting intense on the court, Lue was hardly able to watch the drama unfold.
Well, for Shaw, the responsibility wasn’t limited to securing a win; he had to take up the media responsibility. Just like Lue, the stop-gap coach also won over the media with his perfect comic timing while facing hard-hitting questions. It was revealed the final play of the game involving Kawhi Leonard was indeed a call from Lue, who was in constant communication with the coaches. And in turn, it also disclosed the condition the Clippers HC was in. “He was talking to a couple of the other coaches. He was watching at home. They FaceTimed him after the game was over, and he looked like he was having a heart attack, feeling the same way that we felt out there, not knowing how it was going to go,” the interim coach said during the post-game press conference.
The final moments of the Kings vs Clippers weren’t for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure. With 6 seconds left in overtime, Kawhi received the ball and drove to the paint. All five of the Kings’ players converged on him, but his floater bounced on the rim twice before finally dropping in, sparking a wild celebration at the Intuit Dome.
Image Credits: Imagn
“But he was happy for us, and we’re just, we’re all wishing that the pain that he’s dealing with in his back goes away, and we can get him back ASAP,” Shaw further added. There has been no official update on Ty Lue’s situation as of the time of writing. But Shaw made sure to ease some nerves by giving an overview of the situation.
More details of Ty Lue’s unexpected back pain emerge
This is the second time this season that a health issue has ruled out a head coach before the game. Gregg Popovich’s situation with the Spurs was much more severe and concerning. Ty Lue, on the other hand, has back pain. He even attended the pre-game media duties only to be ruled out an hour before the start of the game, and he was indeed in some pain.
“[Lue was] In some pain, his back is bothering him. Ty is tough as nails, and for him to sit out a game, it has to be something that’s really, really bothering him,” Shaw explained in the presser. He highlighted his constant communication with the HC during the game and, just like Lue’s pain tolerance, it was a game for the Clippers to persevere.
With the 111-110 win, the Clippers moved into 1 game behind the Timberwolves and the Warriors, who currently occupy the 7th and 6th seeds, respectively. On Tuesday, the LAC will begin a three-game road trip facing the Pelicans, Heat, and Hawks, wrapping it up on Friday before returning to the Dome. With Lue’s situation still up in the air, Shaw just might have to grit his teeth in his new role to keep the ship steady on the road to the playoffs.
The post Interim Coach Claims Ty Lue “Looked Like He Was Having A Heart Attack” As More Details On Unexpected Injury Emerge appeared first on EssentiallySports.
