Tyronn Lue played long enough in the NBA to know that not all regular-season games are created equal. Without fail, it seemed, the stars who were his teammates — Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady — played with a bit more fire against opponents of their caliber.
“Whenever the greats are playing against the greats,” the Clippers’ coach said Tuesday, “you always want to be great.”
Lue ended his pregame media session and then watched a game unfold that was no exception — a 124-120 Brooklyn win in a matchup whose stars’ performances created the intensity of a playoff game despite taking place inside the emptiness of Barclays Center.