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LA Clippers: The Perfect Playoff Scenario in 2019

By Ryan Snellings

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: Sindarius Thornwell #0, Jerome Robinson #10, and Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers react to a play during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 31, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: Sindarius Thornwell #0, Jerome Robinson #10, and Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers react to a play during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 31, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 08: Los Angeles Clippers Guard Patrick Beverley (21) and Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Paul George (13) look on during a NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 08: Los Angeles Clippers Guard Patrick Beverley (21) and Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Paul George (13) look on during a NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

LA Clippers – What do we expect?

First, let’s look at the Clippers’ remaining schedule so we know where they should stand when the season wraps up.

  • Friday, April 5 – vs. Los Angeles Lakers
  • Sunday, April 7 – @ Golden State Warriors
  • Wednesday, April 10 – vs. Utah Jazz

Out of the three, obviously the Lakers game is the most winnable. Let’s go ahead and assume the game in Oracle (which, is the Warriors last regular season game in that arena) will be a loss.

The Jazz game is a coin flip and could come down to if either team still has a shot to move up or down in the standings. For the sake of this article, we’ll just go with the Clippers losing that game as well as Utah tries to hang on to the 5th seed.

Does that mean the Clippers get the sixth seed for sure though? Nope.

Sixth Seed Guaranteed?

Going 1-2 in the next three leaves the Clippers sitting at 48-34, which might be enough to hang onto the sixth seed. OKC needs three wins to tie the Clips and if they manage that, they would have the tiebreaker (2-2 in head-to-head, but OKC would have the better conference record).

OKC has four games remaining against the following teams:

  • Friday, April 5 – vs. Detroit Pistons
  • Sunday, April 7 – @ Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Tuesday, April 9 – vs. Houston Rockets
  • Wednesday, April 10 – vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Three wins isn’t really impossible, especially considering Milwaukee will be resting their starters. The game against Detroit is winnable too, even more so if Blake Griffin is still out with knee soreness.

The Thunder could very well pull out three wins, making the rest of this moot, so let’s just act like the somehow go 2-2 over their next four.

You might be asking why I included Oklahoma City here, but not the Spurs even though they have the same amount of wins. Well, we need Oklahoma City to win against Houston. (More on that next slide). The Spurs remaining schedule does not affect us unless they win out.

  • Friday, April 5 – @ Washington Wizards
  • Sunday, April 7 – @ Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Wednesday, April 10 – vs. Dallas Mavericks

San Antonio winning out is very possible considering the ease of their schedule and would tie them with the Clips. San Antonio owns the tiebreaker, so we desperately need them to lose just one game.

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