Nothing is settled on matchup front
If it seems like folly for the Clippers to zero in on any potential playoff matchup with three games left in the regular season, well, it’s because it is.
The Clippers could finish anywhere from second to sixth in the Western Conference standings and play one of five teams in the first round.
“In three days,” Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford said Friday, “the matchups have changed f ive times. It’s unbelievable.”
The Clippers (53-26) entered Saturday in fifth place in the West courtesy of owning a tiebreaker with Houston (53-26), only one game behind second-place Memphis (54-25).
The Clippers could almost guarantee home-court advantage in the first round by winning their final three games, beginning Saturday at Staples Center against the Grizzlies. The Clippers then stay home to play Denver (29-50) on Monday before closing the regular season on the road against Phoenix (39-41) on Tuesday.
Clippers Coach Doc Rivers has adopted a simple mantra over the final portion of the season.
“Just keep winning,” said Rivers, whose team has won 11 of its last 12 games. “If you keep winning, it’s hard for you not to get home court.”
The only givens in the West playoffs are that Golden State (64-15) will have the top seeding and Portland (51-28) will hold a top-four seeding by virtue of winning the Northwest Division. But the Trail Blazers could open the playoffs on the road because the teams in the fifth and sixth spots currently have better records.
If the Clippers win the rest of their games, they would hold tiebreakers for playoff seeding over San Antonio, Houston and Memphis, provided those teams don’t win their division.
“There’s so many scenarios,” Clippers forward Blake Griffin said. “That’s the crazy part.”
The Clippers learned the importance of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs last season when a raucous crowd carried them to a come-frombehind victory over Golden State.
“I remember as soon as we came on the court it was electric,” Crawford said. “The crowd was into it. They were fired up and it was truly a win-or-go-home moment for us and we got it done.”
Rivers said home-court advantage was less significant after the first round.
“Once you get out of it,” Rivers said, “both teams are comfortable, both teams are playoff-tested now, so that’s when to me home court [means] less. You’re ready to play.” Decision time
Rivers said the team would “most likely” sign another player before the Clippers’ game against the Grizzlies, with recent 10-day signees Lester Hudson and Nate Robinson among the options.
Rivers said Robinson’s injured knee was “probably not where we would like it, but it’s better.” Etc.
Crawford, who recently returned from a five-week absence caused by a severely bruised calf, said his rhythm was improving after working out with the team’s second unit Thursday, an off day for the starters. . . . Griffin said he would select Houston’s James Harden as his MVP, though Golden State’s Stephen Curry would rank a close second. “I just think James has done so much with less,” Griffin said. “He’s had a lot of guys injured and they’re sitting at No. 2 [in the West] right now, but you can’t go wrong with either one.” NBA players are picking an MVP this season for the first time as part of the Players Choice Awards.