It would be tempting to look at the Clippers’ recent success and get caught up in the euphoria of a championship run. They have won 14 of their past 17 games and, at 46-32, are firmly in the hunt for a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
But that would be premature. In the congested Western Conference, where a half-game separates teams Nos. 4-8 with 5-8 locked in a four-way tie entering Monday’s schedule, one loss could send title aspirations skidding into the Play-In Tournament.
The Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies are all tied at 46-32 entering play Monday, a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets (47-32). As it stood Monday morning, the Clippers held the four-way tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed, followed by the Warriors.
“That’s the beauty of being in the last handful of games,” Clippers guard James Harden said. “It is always like that. It’s going to be like that every single year with teams whose backs are against the wall.
“You got to go out there perform and win games and if you do that, then you position yourself to be in a really good place. If you don’t, then you end up being an eight seed and having to plan for the Play-In and who else knows what’s going on. So, for us, I think it’s just playing well, playing well and thinking good things will happen for us.”
Coach Tyronn Lue has sensed a certain confidence in his players as they approach the final stretch. The Clippers have four regular-season games remaining, starting with Tuesday night’s home game against the injury-plagued San Antonio Spurs (32-46) then a Wednesday night home game against the second-place Houston Rockets (52-27).
“When you go into a game and you feel like you got a chance to win every night, it says a lot about your team and who you are,” Lue said. “It’s a special unit, a special group. We haven’t had a chance to be together for a long period of time, but the guys are figuring it out. And the run we’ve been on is because of those guys.
“They put ego aside, it doesn’t matter whose night it is, we had to play through the game and the biggest thing for us is just win games, and they’ve been able to do that. They’ve been able to put personal things aside in order to win games and that’s huge. When we try to win at a high level.”
Star forward Kawhi Leonard, however, lightly tapped the brakes on any talk of title hopes.
“For us right now, we have to get in the playoffs (first) to even think about a championship run and that’s the goal now,” the two-time NBA champion said. “We got to see what happens. It’s no run without being in the playoffs.”
WEEKLY HONOR
Leonard was named the Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.75 steals per game while leading the team to four consecutive victories last week.
This was the 10th POW honor of his career and his fourth as a Clipper.
The six-time All-Star played in games on consecutive days for the first time all season last week, scoring 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals, in the second game against the Dallas Mavericks.
“He’s looking like the Kawhi that we know he can be,” center Ivica Zubac said. “He’s leading us. He’s a bad dude on the court, both sides of the floor.”
SPURS AT CLIPPERS
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood
TV/radio: FDSN SoCal, 1150 AM
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