This is the seventh year that Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has been a head coach for a team in the playoffs. His first three came while he was manning the Cleveland Cavaliers. With them, he won it all in 2016 and reached the NBA Finals in both 2017 and 2018. This is the fourth time in his five years with the Clippers that they have reached the postseason. As a head coach, Tyronn Lue has had a lot of success in a pivotal Game 7. That is what he faces on Saturday night in an opening round matchup with the Denver Nuggets.
Tyronn Lue Has Thrived In Game 7 Settings
3-0 With The Cavaliers
Thus far as a head coach, Lue owns a career postseason record of 57-40. That includes an undefeated record of 4-0 when faced with a Game 7. Three of those Game 7s came while Lue was with the Cavaliers.
The first Game 7 that Lue encountered is definitely the most well-known of his, and arguably the most famous Game 7 in NBA history. That came in the 2016 NBA Finals when the Cavaliers squared up with the 73-win Golden State Warriors. That saw Cleveland become the first (and still only) team to overcome a 3-1 finals deficit to win it all.
The next two times both came in 2018 when Lue was still with Cleveland. In the opening round, Lue and his Cavaliers matched up with the Indiana Pacers. Indiana was coming off a 34-point blowout win in Game 6 to extend the series to a do-or-die Game 7. LeBron James scored 45 points to help the Cavaliers eke out a four-point win in the deciding game.
Two rounds later, the Cavaliers overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. On the road in Game 7, the Cavaliers were able to hold Boston to just 79 points, securing an eight-point victory.
Looking To Move To 2-0 With The Clippers
During his Clippers tenure, Lue has faced a Game 7 just once. That came back in 2021, his first season with the team. Much like 2018, Lue saw his team escape 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits in their opening round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers outscored Dallas by 18 in the second and third quarters which allowed them to win Game 7 by the score of 126-111.
So it has been four years since Lue has been a head coach facing a Game 7. His previous history in that situation shows that it wouldn’t be wise to bet against him though.
While Saturday’s Game 7 will take place in Denver, two of Lue’s four Game 7 wins have come on the road. His 4-0 record is the most wins by any head coach without a loss in Game 7 other than Red Auerbach (8-0). Not only that, but Saturday is also his 48th birthday. Will he get to celebrate with a series win, earning a second round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Tyronn Lue has a 4-0 record in Game 7s in his coaching career.
The only other coach in NBA history with at least that many Game 7 wins without a loss is Red Auerbach (8-0). pic.twitter.com/qA8qZUrpLJ
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