Earlier this season, the LA Clippers were viewed as a tremendous disappointment. Though they had their fair share of star power (with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard in tow), the losses piled up and they appeared to be a lock for the draft lottery.
Fast forward to late March, and the Clippers are in good shape to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament and eventually make it to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The Clips took a step closer to securing a play-in berth by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 129-96 on Monday.
Blowouts can help build the confidence of an entire roster, as seldom-used reserves get to spend more time on the court. In the Clippers’ rout of the Bucks, six players off the bench played 13+ minutes apiece, getting their shots in and contributing in other ways like dishing assists and crashing the boards.
The spotlight, of course, is on two starters who were highly productive against Milwaukee. Leonard, who has undergone some sort of career renaissance this season, topscored with 28 points on 44.4% FG shooting. His new backcourt partner Darius Garland led the team in assists (six dimes, to be exact) while also chipping in 15 points. The Clippers are hoping that Leonard and Garland will continue to set the tone on offense as the play-in tournament approaches.
LA Clippers NBA Playoff Picture: Updated Standings
Thanks to Monday’s win over the Bucks, the Clippers have once again reached .500 with a 36-36 record. Currently, the Clips hold the no. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
LA Clippers NBA Playoff Picture: Best Case Scenario
From the looks of it, the no. 8 spot is the best finish that the Clippers will be able to manage, as they are eight games behind the no. 7 squad Phoenix Suns (40-32). From the standpoint of the play-in tournament, finishing seventh or eighth is certainly better than ninth or 10th, as each team involved in the no. 7 vs. no. 8 matchup only has to win one game to land a playoff spot. They’ll have to brace themselves, though, as that playoff spot would likely come against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Here’s what the Clippers don’t want: to slip further down the standings and into the no. 9 vs. no. 10 scenario. This would mean that they’d have to beat either the Portland Trail Blazers or the Golden State Warriors on the road, then enter another hostile environment as they face the loser of the no. 7 vs. no. 8 game. For all that the Clippers have gone through this season, they’ll certainly look to take the most efficient route to the first round of the playoffs.
