The Los Angeles Clippers opened their 2025-26 NBA season with one of their worst performances in recent memory, falling 121-108 to the Utah Jazz in a game that got out of hand almost immediately. Kawhi Leonard, known for his calm demeanor, didn’t sugarcoat the team’s struggles after the blowout, calling out turnovers and poor defensive effort as the biggest reasons behind the early collapse.

“We just didn’t take care of the ball,” Leonard said postgame. “They came out aggressive, jumped passing lanes, and capitalized on every mistake we made. Once you start turning it over like that in the first quarter, it’s hard to get back in the game.”

The Clippers committed more turnovers than made field goals in the opening frame, and by the time the first buzzer sounded, they were staring at a 43-19 deficit that effectively ended the contest. Leonard emphasized that the lack of focus and execution in those early minutes made it nearly impossible for Los Angeles to recover.

“It felt like we were playing catch-up from the start,” Leonard added. “They got comfortable, hit shots, and we couldn’t match their energy defensively. That first quarter set the tone, and we never found a rhythm after that.”

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Ivica Zubac led the Clippers with 19 points and seven rebounds, while James Harden and Brook Lopez each added 15. Leonard struggled to find his touch, finishing with 10 points on just 3-of-9 shooting as the offense sputtered.

Head coach Tyronn Lue echoed Leonard’s assessment, pointing to a lack of intensity and ball control. “When you turn it over like that, you give a good team like Utah easy points,” Lue said. “We’ve got to be better.”

The Clippers will look to regroup quickly as they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, hoping to clean up their mistakes and prove that this ugly start was nothing more than an early-season wake-up call.