Perhaps it is time to re-examine two beliefs that have mostly gone unquestioned during the first three months of this 66-game NBA season.
No. 1: The Los Angeles Clippers are going to the playoffs.
No. 2: The Philadelphia 76ers are going to win the Atlantic Division.
Don’t be so sure of either one.
Let’s start with the Clippers, the darlings of December and January who were surpassed in the Pacific Division standings by the Lakers nearly a month ago. They haven’t won a road game since March 9, they won’t play another home game until Saturday, and are going into New Orleans tonight for Chris Paul’s return in what will be their third game of a back-to-back set.
And they aren’t exactly going into this big game with a head of steam.
“It’s getting to be a little bit embarrassing,” Paul said after the Clippers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-91. “A couple losses here and there and we’re out of the playoffs,” he added. “So, we’ve got to play with a sense of urgency. But most of all, we’ve got to be better.”
Their 26-20 record is good enough right now for fifth place in the Western Conference, but their lead over ninth-place Utah (24-22) is only two games. (The season series between those teams is tied 1-1, with the tiebreaking third and final meeting two Saturdays away).
Then we have the 76ers, who have been perched atop the Atlantic Division for the entire season after getting off to an 18-7 start when they led the league in point differential.
Their arena was invaded by an army of Knicks fans on Wednesday night (FYI, it is cheaper to drive or take the train to Philadelphia and buy tickets than it is to purchase tickets for a game at Madison Square Garden) who watched Jeremy Lin score 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter of an 82-79 victory that cut the Sixers’ lead in the Atlantic Division to one game over the Celtics and three over New York.
The Celtics will be coming into Philly on Friday night looking to catch them.
From Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: “Ten days ago when the 76ers and Knicks played each other, New York looked vastly different. Defense was an afterthought, attitude was abysmal and the head coach was different. The Sixers also looked different. Evan Turner was new to the starting lineup and was scoring and rebounding at a torrid pace which helped a struggling offense get righted. He went for 24 points and 15 rebounds in the Sixers’ 106-94 win. The Knicks’ change from then to now is obvious. Mike D’Antoni resigned, and Mike Woodson has won his first five games as the Knicks head coach. For the Sixers, it appears obvious in that Turner isn’t handling the ball as much as he was when implemented into the starting lineup, therefore not getting to the basket as much and not producing the points he was. Collins says it’s because Turner isn’t rebounding the way he was before, therefore not getting out on the fast break. Whatever the reason, it appears to be hurting the team as the Sixers lost for the fourth time in five games after winning three of the first four when Turner entered the starting lineup.”
The Sixers missed their first 14 shots of the game, fought back, but then came up short at the end as Andre Iguodala airballed a crucial jumper in the final minute.
Now back to the Clippers, whose previous meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder was marked by Blake Griffin’s ferocious dunk over Kendrick Perkins.
This time, Perkins was determined to sent a message of his own.
From Jeff Latzke of The Associated Press: “It was Perkins who delivered the facial this time. Perkins hit Griffin in the face on a hard foul in the first quarter, setting the tone as the Thunder shut down the Clippers’ All-Star and beat Los Angeles 114-91 on Wednesday night. Playing in his hometown, Griffin was held to a career-low seven points and he didn’t come close to dunking this time. “I know with Blake, it seems like he feeds off of dunks,” Perkins said. “If he gets a couple early dunks, he gets going.” Instead, Griffin ended up settling mostly for long jumpers and hook shots, and he went just 3 for 11 from the field. Perkins was called for a personal foul and his league-leading 11th technical foul a little over 5 minutes into the game when he clocked Griffin in the face at the right block. “I wasn’t trying to intentionally foul him,” Perkins said. “It’s just a part of it. It just happened.” Griffin called it “a little bit” of a hard foul. He never could get going offensively, though, and failed to score in double figures for the first time all season.”
Following tonight’s game at New Orleans, the Clippers will return to El Lay for a four-game homestand. They are only 15-15 against teams from the Western Conference, and they won’t see another Eastern Conference team until finishing the regular season with a two-game road trip to Atlanta and New York.
The Clippers now trail the Lakers by 2 1/2 games in the Pacific Division after the other team from Los Angeles got another look at how different things can be with a speedy point guard who can break down defenses.
Ramon Sessions, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline, had 17 points and nine assists in his fourth game with the Lakers as they defeated Dallas 109-93 to end the Mavericks’ four-game winning streak.
“He definitely is a point guard that creates a lot of pick-and-rolls, and gets us points in transition, too,” said Pau Gasol, who went 13 for 16 from the field for 27 points, backing up Kobe Bryant’s 30. “He gets in the lane, and he can knock down the shot himself.”
Elsewhere in the NBA last night:
- Playing their fifth straight game without reigning MVP Derrick Rose, John Lucas III scored all of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, Kyle Korver had all 10 of his in the final period, and Chicago outscored Toronto 32-13 in the final 12 minutes of a 94-82 victory. Holding the Raptors to 4-of-18 shooting in the final period, the Bulls won their sixth straight road game, improving to an NBA-best 20-6 away from home. Chicago’s last road loss was Feb. 12 at Boston.
- JaVale McGee dunked a teammate’s missed free throw with 5 seconds remaining, and the Nuggets withstood Gordon’s 9-for-9 shooting from 3-point range and 45 points for a 116-115 victory over Detroit. McGee’s rebound and slam followed a missed foul shot by Arron Afflalo, who was fouled while making a driving layup with 5.6 seconds left and got the benefit of a generous continuation call. That basket pulled the Nuggets to 115-114 after they had blown a 25-point lead.
- Tim Duncan had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and the Spurs beat Minnesota 116-100 despite playing most of the game without Tony Parker. The French point guard left with a left hamstring strain with 8:03 remaining in the second quarter. He spoke briefly with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before heading to the locker room with two points and six assists. Stephen Jackson and Gary Neal scored 16 points for the Spurs, who won their fourth straight game and fifth in their last six. They remained 3 1/2 games behind Oklahoma City for the best record in the West.
- Coming of their 59-point debacle in Chicago, Ryan Anderson made seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points, Dwight Howard had 28 points and 16 rebounds and the Magic defeated Phoenix 103-93. Marcin Gortat scored just four points in his first visit to Orlando since being dealt to Phoenix in December 2010.
- Joe Johnson made a tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, another big 3 in overtime, then the winner on a pull-up jumper along the baseline with 10 seconds left in overtime of a 103-102 victory over Cleveland. Kyrie Irving just missed a triple-double with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
- Nene had 22 points and 10 rebounds in his Washington debut, and the Wizards defeated New Jersey 108-89 as Nets guard Deron Williams and coach Avery Johnson were ejected in the third quarter for arguing an egregious non-call.
- Klay Thompson scored a season-high 27 points on 11-of-24 shooting and the Warriors ended a four-game losing streak, beating the Hornets 101-92. The skid started the day after the Monta Ellis was traded. David Lee added 25 points and 11 rebounds after missing his first seven shots.