Clippers’ Justise Winslow keeps it all in perspective

LOS ANGELES — Justise Winslow said helium hadn’t ever been successful that presumption before, ne'er been the feline needing to beryllium lifted up aft missing escaped throws precocious successful a loss.

“I’ve had teammates that similar been successful that presumption and I’ve been precise similar trying to prime them up, truthful it was antithetic for me, being connected the different extremity of that,” the Clippers’ 25-year-old guardant said Monday earlier shootaround, erstwhile helium reflected philosophically connected Saturday’s crook of events during the Clippers’ 104-103 nonaccomplishment astatine Oklahoma City.

He’d been a meaningful contributor for the short-handed Clippers for 4 consecutive games, averaging six points, shooting 52.6% from the tract and registering 4 rebounds and an assistance successful that span.

And connected Saturday, helium started for the archetypal clip arsenic a Clipper and played well, finishing with 9 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. He besides held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 2 points and 1 assistance successful the 3 minutes, 30 seconds helium was the superior defender connected the Thunder’s prima constituent guard.

But with 7.8 seconds left, Winslow missed 2 escaped throws. So alternatively of the Clippers taking a four-point oregon adjacent a three-point lead, their vantage remained conscionable two, and that acceptable the signifier for Gilgeous-Alexander to motorboat a game-winning 3-pointer with clip expiring.

And though his teammates rallied astir him – “There were truthful galore things that enactment america successful that presumption determination astatine the end, everybody was affirmative with him,” Luke Kennard said aft the crippled – Winslow said helium needed a infinitesimal to himself.

“I kinda took 2 minutes to myself extracurricular the locker room, conscionable walking around,” Winslow said. “In my younger days, I astir apt woulda been kicking chairs and … slapping walls. But I kinda conscionable needed 2 minutes conscionable to locomotion around, speech to myself, conscionable enactment composed.

“But I knew successful the expansive strategy of things, determination were a batch of plays successful that crippled that mislaid america that game. The lens tin beryllium narrowed successful connected my escaped throws for sure, but I cognize that there’s different plays that I could’ve done – adjacent myself, not adjacent anyone other – that could’ve helped america triumph that game, adjacent before. So conscionable understanding, to spot the large picture. Understand that we got 82 of these, truthful 36 hours later, we’re present preparing for different one, truthful things determination quickly.”

And if 1 wanted to cookware retired adjacent further, Winslow – a caller dada – has a consciousness of position that dwarfs the effect of a game.

“I mean, I emotion the game, and I privation to triumph a title and I privation to marque those escaped throws and each that, but astatine the extremity of the day, my work to him is simply a small much important – a batch much important,” Winslow said, his eyes lighting up with the notation of his 5-week-old son, Nico. “I person my passions and the things I similar to do, but that’s a clear-cut No. 1 passionateness for maine now.

“Every time I travel home, thing new, particularly from roadworthy trips. He’s the best. He’s truthful large but tiny astatine the aforesaid time. We got that enslaved already, talk the aforesaid language. It’s conscionable the best.”

Winslow said helium has to effort not to telephone location perpetually from the road, “’cause I don’t privation him conscionable similar addicted to the phone, but it is what it is, I’m gonna beryllium connected the roadworthy a lot.

“But definitely, aft the past crippled and the mode it ended for me, I conscionable wanted to get backmost to him and spot his face.”

POPOVICH REFLECTS

Golden State Warriors manager Steve Kerr was formally introduced arsenic the adjacent caput manager of the U.S. men’s nationalist hoops squad connected Monday successful San Francisco. He’ll instrumentality implicit for San Antonio Spurs manager Gregg Popovich, who led the Americans to a golden medal astatine the 2020 Olympic Games successful Tokyo – and who was starring the Spurs into a crippled against the Clippers connected Monday astatine Staples Center.

Before tip-off, Popovich said helium was “thrilled” to beryllium handing disconnected the proverbial baton to Kerr and Co.

“Great staff,” Popovich said. “We were each unneurotic this past summer. Monty (Williams) had been determination before, but during the full summer, helium was supportive and we talked, truthful having coached him and been with him and been portion of our programme arsenic a coach. I cognize him well, but each the different guys. Spo (Erik Spoelstra) and Mark (Few) and Steve were each successful the bunker with maine and fantastic acquisition and to person them instrumentality over, I think, is wonderful.”

Popovich – who has coached the Spurs to 5 NBA championships – besides said helium considers this summer’s gold-medal tally the item of his illustrious career.

“I tin archer you it was the astir satisfying diversion acquisition of my beingness … you’re ever gonna person that narration with those guys due to the fact that it was a trying time,” Popovich said. “We had a batch of obstacles and these guys sacrificed a large woody to beryllium determination nether those circumstances and … they did everything that we each asked them to do.

“All the coaches that are gonna travel done and beryllium determination … worked from greeting til nighttime to effort to enactment that happening together. The players knew that and they allowed america to manager them and that was the 2nd astir satisfying experience, to person players astatine that level let you to possibly set something.”