LA Clippers aim for fourth-straight victory against struggling Brooklyn Nets

After winning three consecutive games against some of the NBA’s best, the LA Clippers travel to Brooklyn, New York, to take on the 7-9 Nets.

Don’t look now, but the LA Clippers are rolling. A win today would have them tied for second in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, and would keep them just one loss back in the loss column behind the top-seeded Golden State Warriors. Hardly anyone could have expected this.

But that’s one of the reasons why the LA Clippers are playing this well — no one is paying attention to them, and therefore, there’s no pressure. Each game, the team walks onto the floor with the sole purpose of playing basketball. They have a lot of fun doing it, too.

The Clippers have claimed victory in each of their last three games, as well as fie of their last six. Those last three have come against the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs — which is not exactly a cakewalk. Those three teams have a combined record of 30-15, or a win percentage of .667.

Fortunately for Los Angeles, the next three-game streak could be coming right on the heels of the last. Beginning with the Brooklyn Nets tonight, the Clippers have a relatively easy schedule looking ahead, with games in Atlanta against the Hawks (3-12) and Wizards (5-10).

That doesn’t mean the Clippers will be able to take it easy, though, and there’s hardly a reason to believe why they would. This Los Angeles team has been the very embodiment of the word “hustle” so far this season, and has truly taken the “next man up” mentality to the next level.

Led by Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, the Clippers boast the league’s top-scoring bench and play at the league’s seventh-fastest pace.

Of course, the starting unit is equally responsible for the superb play. Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari score a combined 39.2 points per game, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems to have found a comfortable, permanent spot among the starting five.

To stop the Nets and keep the streak alive, the Clippers will need to play tight perimeter defense and limit three-point attempts. Brooklyn has five players shooting at least 38 percent from deep, and three of those players play at least 27 minutes per game.

In addition, Los Angeles needs to be wary of Brooklyn big Jarrett Allen, a top-10 shot blocker this season.

The LA Clippers take on the Brooklyn Nets today at 3:00 PM PST at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.