Want to know what teams should Los Angeles Clippers fans root for in today’s NBA games to improve their playoff positioning? We break it all down for you.
As the end of the regular season draws closer, so too does the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff race. Seeds 4 through 10 are all within two games of each other in the standings, which makes every night of NBA action carry a great deal of importance for teams currently fighting for postseason positioning. The Clippers (36-29), having played the fewest amount of games so far, will need strong play to finish out the season and some help from other teams around the league to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here is a guide to who Clippers fans should be rooting for in the games tonight:
Minnesota at Washington (4:00pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The Wizards
Why? – The Timberwolves (39-29) currently sit as the 6th seed and lead the Clippers in the season series 3-0. While the Wolves have the same number of losses as the Clippers, they have already banked three more wins, meaning any Wolves loss for the remainder of the season will benefit the Clippers’ seeding hopes.
Oklahoma City at Atlanta (4:30pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The Hawks
Why? – The Thunder (40-29) sit two games ahead of the Clippers in the 4th seed. They currently lead the season series 2-0 with only one game remaining. Any chance of overtaking the Thunder in positioning would have to fall directly on win percentage, so every loss counts.
Charlotte at New Orleans (5:00pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The Hornets
Why? – The Pelicans (38-28) are currently ahead of the Clippers in the season series 2-1, with one game in Los Angeles remaining. If the Clippers can hold on in that game, the tie-breaker would come down to division record, which the Clippers have an edge in, as they are currently 11-3 in division play while the Pelicans are only 6-4. However, any ground the Clippers can gain on the Pelicans in the interim would be beneficial.
Orlando at San Antonio (7:30pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The Magic
Why? – While the Spurs (37-30) are currently in a tailspin (having lost 11 of their last 14) they do hold the season series lead against the Clippers 2-0 with only one game remaining. As of this morning, the Spurs are outside of the playoff race, but any separation the Clippers can create between themselves and a team they are losing a season series to increases their margin of error for the stretch run.
Detroit at Utah (6:00pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The Pistons
Why? – While the Clippers could view either outcome as a positive, playoff positioning should take precedent over draft positioning. Utah (37-30) currently sits below the Clippers in the 8th seed, but holds the edge in the season series 2-1 with one game remaining. However, a win for the Jazz wouldn’t be devastating, as the Clippers hold edges in losses and in division record (Utah is 6-8 in its division so far), and the Clippers own Detroit’s first round pick for this season.
Denver at Los Angeles Lakers (7:30pm PST)
Who should I root for? – The…gulp…Lakers
Why? – As difficult as it can be to root for the Purple and Gold, a win here over the Nuggets (37-30) would create some much needed distance for the Clippers. While the Clippers hold the edge in the season series 2-0 with only 1 game remaining, fewer teams in the hunt overall would help quell some of the anxiety Clippers fans may be feeling.
The most important thing the Clippers can do is keep winning. Obviously, the Clippers need to take care of business in Chicago tonight. Fourteen of the Clippers’ last seventeen games are against teams either in or around the playoffs. Eight of those fourteen come against teams in the hunt for the remaining spots in the Western Conference. The Clippers currently hold a head-to-head edge against only one of those teams in the hunt, with only two other possibilities to tie, so, banking wins now is of the upmost importance.