The second half of LA’s Orlando games look more rigorous than the first. With two teams having clinched playoff spots and the other two fighting, the Clippers must close out strong to finish as high as possible.
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Saturday, August 8th vs. Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers are another team with a must-win mindset. They are in a three-way tie for 9th and want that 8th spot just as much as the others. What sets them apart from competitors is their leaders. An all-star, former all-star, and an all-star hopeful have the playoff experience opposing teams lack. Damian Lillard, Carmelo Anthony, and CJ McCollum are the masterminds behind the Blazers, with 51% of the team’s scoring. The trio pushed the Blazers to one of the best three-point teams in the league– tied for 3rd with 37.2% from downtown. LA must defend the three if they want to get past a hungry Blazers team.
In the two meetings against these teams, the Clippers have come out on top. They controlled the games defensively and kept the Blazers from getting hot from outside. The Blazers shot under 30% from the three in both games, averaging 27.3% overall. Portland is just 3-13 when they shoot under 30% on treys this season.
Sunday, August 9th vs. Nets
Brooklyn is sitting at seven and should be the next team to clinch in the East if their games go well. With Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince and Wilson Chandler not joining the team in Orlando, however, the Nets will be a vastly different team. They now have to quickly learn to play without them and build chemistry with their new players. Despite this, the Nets still pose a challenge for LA because they now have to study players and a system they haven’t seen before.
The Nets are the only team on the schedule that the Clippers haven’t faced this season. This fact means the Clippers don’t know what to expect. Right now, the Nets’ best players are Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Jarrett Allen. If the Clippers can contain them, they shouldn’t have any problem winning.
Wednesday, August 12th vs. Nuggets
The Nuggets are right behind the Clippers in the West. Sitting 1.5 games behind in 3rd, that makes this game the second-most important on the schedule. A win against the Nuggets could boost the Clippers higher or drop them lower. The West is getting tight, and the final games in Orlando could be the biggest ones.
The Clippers and Nuggets have met twice this season– splitting the meetings. The one game-factor the Clippers struggled with in their loss was shooting. The team shot 45.2% from the field but took a hit from the three-point line. Only shooting 24.2% beyond the arc, the Clippers had trouble catching a spark. When you play the 6th-best shooting team in the NBA (47.1%), they are making multiple shots while you struggle to make one. That changed in their second meeting when the Clippers shot 53.9% from the field and won by 29. If the Clippers can keep up with Denver’s high-producing offense, they should find themselves in a dominant spot throughout the game.
Friday, August 14th vs. Thunder
To conclude the regular season in Orlando, the Clippers play an underrated Thunder team. Projected to be in a rebuilding stage, the Thunder pushed themselves to the 5th spot in the West and may continue their upward trend. An all-star veteran leads numerous talented young players. They have all the confidence in the world to beat anyone and can quickly get hot. The Clippers need to minimize their mistakes to take down the Thunder.
Meeting three times so far this year, the Clippers and Thunder know themselves well. Especially with Chris Paul and Paul George on the court, it means more to play against their former teams. The Clippers have the series lead this season at 2-1. In their loss, the Thunder beat them on the boards. LA gave up too many second-chance opportunities and didn’t grab enough rebounds. Oklahoma City has the 5th-best shooting percentage at 47.3%, so giving them another shot often leads to points. The Thunder shoot the 3rd-fewest shots in the NBA but make them at a high rate. For the Clippers to win, they need to minimize the number of shots the Thunder take by creating turnovers and forcing poor shots.
The Clippers’ second-half of their remaining schedule will be the momentum booster for the playoffs. Teams need to catch fire if they want to succeed in the postseason. For the Clippers, being healthy is the most critical part of the regular-season finales. To continue to have everyone available will give them the strength and confidence to finish the eight preliminary games and make a run. A fully healthy Clippers team can be dangerous against anyone.
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