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Speights: Clippers need to leave refs alone, try something new

Soobum Im / USA TODAY Sports

Current Los Angeles Clippers Marreese Speights was once a member of the enemy camp, spending three seasons competing for the Golden State Warriors before leaving as a free agent, but still staying within the division.

He knows better than anyone in Clipper country how the Bay Area powerhouse operates, and following his team's 115-98 loss to Stephen Curry and Co. on Wednesday, the key differences between the two teams became so much clearer to him.

"First, we need to start really just leaving the refs alone," Speights said of the Clippers, according to the Orange Country Register's Bill Oram. "Guys just got to sacrifice, do some other things than scoring, do some other things than your personal goals. Just try something new.

"They've been doing it here for four or five years, and it hasn't been working, so it's time to try something new."

Speights even brought into question Los Angeles' mental toughness, remembering his time under head coach Steve Kerr and the game plans he conjured up when the two rivals squared off.

Related: Clippers show they're not on Warriors' level in blowout loss

"That’s the scouting report when you play against the Clippers," he added. "It’s always been, especially with the Warriors, you play against the Clippers, you hit them a couple of times and their spirit is going to be down. That’s what happened, so we’ve just got to find a way to get over that hump."

It was the seventh straight regular season game the Clippers dropped to the Warriors, and eighth in nine tries dating back to the 2014-15 campaign.

Now, all Speights hopes is that his teammates will begin taking to heart everything he says about the Warriors, their biggest obstacle in advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

"They see it, they see everything I say. Everything I say in practice since I’ve been here, they see it. That’s how they (the Warriors) play."

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