The Latest Breaking News from Tyronn Lue

The Clippers' stalwart point guard whipped out an invisible dictionary.

SAN ANTONIO — For eight minutes Friday, the Clippers played like the team that left training camp openly declaring its championship aspirations — their long-armed defenders forcing consecutive stops on one end, their litany of shooters blowing open a lead with ruthless efficiency on the other.

The stands weren't close to full Wednesday, this city's attention drawn more to the hometown Astros' World Series appearance than early November basketball. The loudest Toyota Center cheers were sparked between the third and fourth quarters by the scoreboard showing an Astros lead in Philadelphia.

Tyronn Lue eased to his seat, plopped down to do his pregame news conference before Monday night's game against the Houston Rockets and smiled. Before taking any questions, the Clippers coach offered this:

LOS ANGELES — For too long, the Clippers have had a “wait ‘til next year” mindset. Wait for some player’s injury to heal, someone’s slump to pass, a young player to blossom.

LOS ANGELES — Since the first practice of the season, coach Tyronn Lue has talked about the Clippers’ abundance of scoring options. One night it could be Kwahi Leonard or Paul George who takes charge. Another time it might be guard John Wall or Norman Powell who steps up.

Clippers guard Terance Mann sat in a chair, his head in his palms, in the corner of the visitor's locker room. To his left, point guard Reggie Jackson looked ahead with a thousand-yard stare, still in his blue uniform a half-hour after the final buzzer had ended a night in…

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George approached midcourt before tipoff Sunday evening inside Crypto.com Arena, one stoic, the other about to speak. The Clippers' stars had been asked to address the crowd before the team's home opener, and George kept his remarks brief as Leonard nodded along.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The pregame public-address announcement of teams’ inactive players is usually an afterthought inside NBA arenas, with fans still streaming in generally less concerned about the players not in uniform than locating their seats.

By tipoff Thursday night, the Clippers were the last NBA team to start their season. They hope to be the last team standing at the end, too.

The early October evening and a new NBA season approached when Steve Ballmer returned to the topic that has consumed his eight years of owning the Clippers.