The Clippers clinched at least the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of playoffs with a victory Sunday. The Lakers are on the verge of clinching the worst record in franchise history. The Clips will try and gain more traction as LA’s team with a 10th straight win over their Staples Center roommates.
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LOOK AHEAD
The return Sunday of Blake Griffin to the lineup produced a few highlight reel plays during the Clippers 114-109 victory over the Wizards. There were also lots of less memorable moments. Griffin appeared in less than optimal shape after his 45-game absence, missing five of seven shots while struggling to catch passes cleanly. But if it didn’t exactly seem like old times, it was just enough of a reminder of what could be with Griffin back on the court. “It’s just a confidence with him on the court that it brings to all of us,” said guard Chris Paul.
In his first game since Christmas, Griffin was in the starting lineup and played 24 minutes, tallying six points, five rebounds and four assists. Those numbers figure to experience a significant uptick over the Clippers’ final six games before the playoffs. Coach Doc Rivers said Griffin would sit out one of those games to rest, though he didn’t specify which one.
INJURIES
The Lakers will be without guard Nick Young and forward Anthony Brown for another game. Kobe Bryant scored 34 points in 33 minutes Sunday against Boston after running for only nine minutes the previous game. Bryant has vowed to play in every game as his final season winds down.
Paul Pierce will likely miss a few more games with a right ankle sprain. DeAndre Jordan left Sunday’s game after turning an ankle landing on an opponent’s foot following a dunk. He did return and should be good to go Tuesday.
KEY MATCHUP
With Griffin returning to the Clippers lineup he’s likely to take points away from other regulars, and that includes Jordan. But the Clips big man doesn’t mind, he’s not an offensive force like Griffin or Chris Paul. Jordan is happy to play around the rim where he makes his living. Jordan is the most accurate field goal shooter in the NBA, knocking down over 70 percent of his shots, and he is the second-leading rebounder with nearly 14 per game. He went double-double for the 47th time this season on the Wizards Sunday with 12 and 12 and has a favorable matchup against the Lakers. Human beings aren’t supposed to do the things Jordan does with his size. He plays a vicious game down low, gets to nearly every rebound and can alter shots with the best in the business. Free throw shooting is his kryptonite and that, along with his point-hungry teammates, will prevent him from being an elite scorer. But it’s the rebounds, blocks and dunks that make Jordan the premier rim protector in the game. Roy Hibbert and Julius Randle will have a difficult time keeping him off the glass and the Lakers’ inability to shoot the basketball will result in many rebound opportunities, which Jordan will gladly take advantage of.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Clippers performed will with Griffin sidelined, but don’t believe that they are a better team without him. “We need 32 to win a championship,” Chris Paul said referring to Griffin’s uniform number. And Griffin is back working his way into game shape after not playing since Christmas. The Lakers continue to play out the string and while they’ve covered the spread in each of the first two meetings with the Clips, the games were not very competitive. The Lakers are likely to be a double-digit dog once again facing a Clips team that just got one of its best players back. It’s like hitting the lottery for the Clips, who don’t need to exert much energy in another win over their Staples Center housemates.
Los Angeles Clippers 113, Los Angeles Lakers 101
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