Throttling the Miami Heat 103-95 in Miami the night before, the Los Angeles Clippers then went into Atlanta on a cold February night and defeated the Hawks in what would become a track-meet: 149-144, the final score. The date was February 5th. After stumbling out of the gates to start the season 3-7, the Clippers shot up to 1st place in the Western Conference with a record of 35-16. The Clippers playoff seed has been on a wild ride.
That was then; this is now. Only fifty days following that night in the ATL, the Clippers have gone 9-11 since. And after losing handily last night at home 133-116 against the visiting Indiana Pacers, they now find themselves all the way in 5th place, dangerously close to play-in territory and no longer in position to host the opening round. Possessing a record of 8-10 since the All-Star Break, including a 1-9 record versus teams with a record over .500, the Clippers are desperately searching for answers.
Clippers Trying to Beat Out Pelicans
At last night’s press conference after another loss, Ty Lue described their recent futility strongly, yet succinctly. “Right now, do we have an identity?” he asked. “I think, yeah. We’re soft,” he would then answer.
Whether or not Lue’s team will respond to his pointed commentary remains to be seen. Ultimately, that will determine whether or not they stop their skid and continue falling down the standings, potentially risking the playoffs altogether.
The Clippers Challenger for 4th
On the other hand, on the flip side of things, one must look no further than the team that just surpassed the Clippers’ spot in the Western Conference standings. None other than the soaring New Orleans Pelicans.
Spending the majority of the season thus far hovering around the play-in spots, the Pelicans now sit comfortably in the 4th spot in the Western Conference. If the season were to end today, it would be the first time since 2008 that New Orleans would host the opening round. This, of course, was back when CP3 was running the show and the team was still the Hornets.
Inversely mirroring the trajectory of the Clippers, the Pelicans have been 19-6 in their last 25 games (a pace of 62 wins over a season). Since the All-Star Break, they are 11-5, with a winning record of 5-4 versus teams over .500.
The catalyst for this mid-season resurgence can be attributed to the long-awaited resurgence of Zion Williamson. Zion is back playing at a caliber that we have not seen since his days at Duke. Even with Brandon Ingram injured with a left knee bone bruise, the Pelicans have gone 2-0 since he went down.
This was highlighted by a comprehensive victory of 111-888 in Miami on Friday night against the Heat. It was a notable revenge game for the Pelicans after a brief brawl on February 23 in New Orleans. The Heat won that game 106-95.
What Comes Next?
The Pelicans will be returning home to the friendly confines of the Smoothie King Center for the next six games. However, the gauntlet of the schedule ahead of them looms large. They will face the Thunder, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, and Magic consecutively for their next five games. All teams have already beaten them once this season. It will be the most important test yet for the young squad. Whether or not they pass that test will determine their position in the standings at season’s end.
Beating the Clippers three out of four times this season, the Pelicans will hope the standings stay as they are. And that the Clippers continue losing. Meanwhile, the Clippers will be wishing for the opposite. With upcoming tune-up games against the 76ers, the Magic, the Hornets, among others — LA can only hope to stem the tide. The playoffs, and their impending matchups, hang in the balance.
How it all unfolds, only time will tell.
