HOUSTON — Perhaps more than any other team in the NBA, the Clippers have made the best of debilitating circumstances, overcoming a litany of critical injuries and one significant personnel decision to surprisingly remain in the postseason picture in the Western Conference.
However, after cultivating a reputation built on grit and guile, the Clippers (37-29) on Tuesday appeared to relent to their success a bit, eking out a road victory over the Chicago Bulls despite producing something less than their best effort on both ends of the court. The Clippers climbed to seventh in the West with the win without showcasing the vim that undergirds their position.
“I think they felt they were going to win anyway,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re not good enough to do that, but we did it and got away with it.”
The Clippers have won 12 of 16 games, mostly fattening up on the dregs of the league. Since the calendar flipped to February, the Clippers have posted wins over the Bulls and Nets (twice each), the Mavericks, Pistons, Suns, Knicks and Magic. Their schedule will become decidedly more difficult starting Thursday night in Houston when they face the Rockets at Toyota Center.
Los Angeles’ next eight games will come against teams currently occupying postseason spots, with six of those contests being on the road. Locked in a four-way battle alongside the Jazz, Spurs and Nuggets for the final two playoff spots, the Clippers must reach peak performance.
“Approach is to win,” Clippers forward Tobias Harris said. “Approach is to go out there and compete every single night and go out there and collect wins. Obviously in the situation we’re at the margin for error is very slim so we have to be ready at all times.”
The Rockets (53-14) are striving to navigate the final weeks of the season adhering to two primary objectives: claim the top overall seed in the West while maintaining optimal health. Forward Ryan Anderson (hip flexor) has missed eight games but might return Saturday in New Orleans. Otherwise, the Rockets’ rotation is intact as they attempt to fend off the Warriors.
“They know what’s coming up and they’re looking forward to it, I’m sure,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said of the postseason. “They would like for these games to get over with but they want to make sure they take care of business and do the right (thing). They are professional enough to know that our short-term goal is we want to get the No. 1 seed, and they know that without making a mistake. So yeah, they’re approaching it the right way.”
Ignoring the noise associated with the Warriors would help the Rockets’ cause. Golden State, already without All-Star guard Stephen Curry (ankle) for at least another week, lost his Splash Brother Klay Thompson to a fractured right thumb for a minimum of two weeks. The Rockets own a two-game lead over Golden State plus the tiebreaker with 15 games left on the schedule.
While those circumstances make achieving the foremost goal a distinct reality, the Rockets remain rooted in the micro view of their season.
“We just take it one day at a time,” Rockets guard Chris Paul said. “I hate to simplify it, but we just do.”
