All good things must come to an end. For whatever reason, the Clippers just didn’t have the goods tonight. It’s been over a month since we’ve talked about a loss. Does anyone even remember how? Let’s head into Last Call and find out: Buzzer Reaction Denver Nuggets 92 Final Recap | Box score 78 L.A. Clippers Streak Check Not with a bang but a whimper Any loss stinks, and one that ends a long streak is even worse. But an even temperament always helps in a long season. So here’s a Rodgers and Hammerstein song to wave goodbye to the streak. Tweet of the Game There goes the Clips’ unbeaten streak in January… — Larry Coon (@LarryCoon) January 2, 2013 Eric Bledsoe Per36 Stat o’ The Night REB AST STL BLK TO PF +/- PTS Eric Bledsoe 4.23 4.23 0 0 4.26 0 -29.64 25.41 ClipperBlogLive’s Best Moment No show tonight as the staff recovers from New Year’s Eve. Oh! But didn’t you make a resolution to watch more cat videos?? Check Your Messages A silver lining I know I’m rarely the one pointing out positives for the Clippers, so I decided to switch things up a bit. The streak had to end at some point, and this seemed like an appropriate time. The Nuggets are a tough out at home, and the altitude is surely in their favor. Plus, their much better than their 18-15 record indicates, so this isn’t necessarily a “bad” loss like the Cavaliers or Hornets games were. With that said, a simple look at the box score shows a sign of encouragement. Yes, the Clippers lost. And yes, it was by a fair amount of points. But still, in a game where they looked like they had no energy, the Clippers held the uptempo Nuggets to just 92 points. Last season’s team wouldn’t have done that; they would’ve probably given up 110 points or so. While the Clippers did not give their best defensive effort, the problems stemmed mainly from the offense tonight. It was stagnant and sloppy, and even when the Clippers got good looks they couldn’t convert. That happens sometimes. But if tonight proves anything, it’s that the Clippers’ defensive effort will be there every night. That’s the biggest difference from last season. - Jovan Buha Cold, cold, ice cold shooting If my math is right, and it often isn’t, this is the first time all season the Clippers have shot under 40% for a game. Postgame, Chris Paul estimated two or three of the 29 3-point shots the Clippers attempted were contested. Some nights a team just doesn’t have it. - Andrew Han
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