The teams the Clippers are chasing for a top-six spot in the Western Conference standings keep winning and that means the Clippers have to continue their pursuit of wins until the final seedings are decided.
His team understands “what’s at stake” and “what’s at risk,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, and that has kept his group on high alert as it seeks to avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament by earning a top-six seed.
As it stands, even after the Clippers defeated the depleted New Orleans Pelicans 114-98 on Wednesday night at the Inuit Dome, the Clippers remain a play-in team.
The Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies all have identical 44-32 records, all of them a half-game behind the fifth-seeded Golden State Warriors. If the season ended today, the Timberwolves would get the No. 6 seed, the Clippers the No. 7 seed and the Grizzlies the No. 8 seed based on tiebreakers.
“Everyone is paying attention to the standings,” guard James Harden said. “But I think we control our own destiny, you know what I mean? So, we just want to be playing well, no matter who we’re playing against. Obviously, it’s going to work out how it’s going to work out. But for us it’s just playing well and controlling what we can control.”
With six regular-season games left, Lue said the Clippers want to play their best, hunt for a top-six position and stay healthy.
“Health is important,” Lue said. “But like you said, trying to get the top-six seed is very important as well, because you don’t want to go into the play-in game because in one or two games anything can happen. So that’s been our focus and our mindset and I give our guys credit. They’ve been doing a good job with that.”
The Clippers stayed in contention for a top-six seed because they had a balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures, led by strong performances from Kawhi Leonard and Harden.
Leonard was efficient, scoring 28 points, shooting 11 for 18 from the field and three for five from three-point range.
Harden had a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists. He was was seven for 14 from the field and had three blocks. After going one for five from three-point range, Harden has made 404 three-pointers as a Clipper, pushing him past Eric Gordon for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.
Ivica Zubac had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 16 points off the bench.
The Clippers won for the ninth time in 10 games but it wasn’t easy at times.
New Orleans just shut down Zion Williamson (bone bruise in his back) and CJ McCollum (bone bruise in his right foot), and other players missed the game too. But the Pelicans didn’t just roll over, forcing the Clippers to stay alert.
It took a three-pointer from Bogdanovic, an offensive rebound and put-back along with two free throws from Zubac, and a three pointer from Leonard for the Clippers to open a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
“I think we’re playing the right way,” said Zubac, whom the Clippers are promoting for defensive player of the year, including handing out T-shirts. “We’re building our team defensively. Just the level of how everyone is on a string, everyone is playing together, covering each other on defense. It’s been a higher level than it was earlier in the year. So, everyone has the right mindset. Everybody is focused on us getting wins.”