Ty Lue Says Paul George, Clippers Were 'Out of Gas' in Game 6 Loss vs. Suns

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJuly 1, 2021

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue gestures during the second half in Game 3 of the NBA basketball Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

The Los Angeles Clippers' season is over after the team fell 130-103 to the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday at home in Staples Center.

Afterward, head coach Tyronn Lue praised his team for their efforts making it this far while also noting that star forward Paul George and the Clippers' gas tanks were on empty.

Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHM
Ty Lue says Paul George “was out of gas” tonight and that the Clippers finally ran out of gas as a team.

Justin Russo @FlyByKnite
Lue: "Yeah, it is a shock [that it's now over]. ... I thought we ran out of gas. First thing that goes when you get tired and fatigued is mentally."<br><br>Lue said he thought the team made a lot of mental mistakes defensively in that first quarter and first half tonight.

The Clippers played their last eight playoff games without five-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who was out with a right knee sprain.

Without him, L.A. still managed to defeat the top-seeded Utah Jazz in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference semifinal round to advance and play the Suns. The Clips fought hard against the Suns, beating Phoenix twice before ultimately falling in Game 6.

George helped the Clips get as far as they did, notably posting a 27-point, 15-rebound double-double in a Game 3 victory before adding 41 points in a Game 5 win.

PG-13 was off in Game 6, scoring 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, but there wasn't much the Clippers could do to stop a scorching-hot Suns offense led by Chris Paul and his 41 points in the 27-point win.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content