LA Clippers 'got to be tougher' amid 4-game skid, Ty Lue says

SAN FRANCISCO — After losing for the fourth straight time and blowing a double-digit lead yet again in sudden fashion, the LA Clippers found themselves searching for answers as to why they are headed in the wrong direction in the Western Conference standings.

Head coach Ty Lue said the Clippers have to stay «mentally strong» and «be tougher» after they blew a 12-point lead in a demoralizing third quarter that allowed the Golden State Warriors to run away with a 115-91 victory at the Chase Center on Thursday.

The Clippers (33-32) haven't won since entering the All-Star break winning 10 of 14 games. They've blown leads of 14, 12 and 12 points in losses to Sacramento, Denver and Golden State, respectively, since the break. To compound matters, the Clippers will attempt to halt their slide without Kawhi Leonard when they face the Kings in Sacramento on Friday.

Leonard said he will continue to sit out a back-to-back game, as has been the team's plan to keep their franchise star healthy for the postseason after he missed all of last season following right ACL surgery.

«For us, we just got to stay the course, got to be mentally tough, mentally strong, can't give in, and just got to be tougher,» Lue said. «That's the bottom line. When stuff doesn't go your way, it shows you what you're made of. I'm confident that we have a good team and they have to be the same way. They've got to feel the same confidence.

»I don't care about missed shots, it's going to happen. You're going to turn the ball over some, but you can't give in and my thing is just having that toughness and that mindset that, OK, things are not going well, then let's do something about it."

After adding Eric Gordon, Mason Plumlee and Bones Hyland at the trade