The LA Clippers (21-17) had their chances but came up short in a shootout against the Indiana Pacers (20-17) Saturday afternoon, 131-130. Paul George was spectacular with 45 points (15-25 FG, 7-13 3PT, 8-8 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Kawhi Leonard put up another promising line with 24 points (8-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 35 minutes. Avenging his previous subpar performance against LAC, Myles Turner feasted with 34 points (11-17 FG, 2-5 3PT, 10-10 FT). Tyrese Haliburton took over for Indiana in the fourth, finishing with 24 points (8-13 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and zero turnovers. Read on for our full recap of the Clippers loss to the Pacers.

Summary

The Clippers were entering Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the end of a tiring road trip and certainly opened up the game that way, digging themselves an early hole fueled by pedestrian shooting, countless turnovers and sloppy pick-and-roll coverages. Paul George accounted for three of LA’s six turnovers in the period, helping Indiana to score nine off of fast breaks and play at their preferred pace. Robert Covington got the first nod from the pine but wasn’t able to do much on either end, understandably looking a bit stiff. Kawhi played the entire first, but couldn’t find the range. After one, the Clippers trailed 32-22.

It was two steps forward, one step back for the Clippers throughout the second quarter, with Indiana’s three-happy offense unloading shots every other second. Paul George tomahawk dunk? TJ McConnell three right after. Norman Powell converts a pair of free throws? Bennedict Mathurin and-1 layup right after. All the while, Luke Kennard still seemed to be in a funk, going 0-3 from deep in the half. At this point, it also appeared that Terance Mann would be the odd man out of the rotation for the afternoon, but more on that later. Ultimately, some hot shooting from George and just one turnover as a team made for a productive frame for LA. Through two, the Pacers took a 62-55 lead back to the locker room.

“You reach, I teach” was the motto for LA in the third as the Clippers made the Pacers pay with numerous energizing and-1 finishes. This was the quarter to tune into for Clippers fans, as you had Kawhi feasting at the line and PG nailing 3s in guys’ faces after what was a quick 7-0 Indy run to open things up. With the Clippers back to being all square with the house, however, Indiana continued to make timely plays, doing a good job of refusing to concede a lead. Kawhi Leonard had his fingerprints stamped all over the third to close, however, hitting a cold-blooded three right over Jalen Smith to tie the game once more heading into the final frame, 93-93.

Perhaps to be expected, the Clippers opened up the fourth with another four-guard lineup, this time consisting of John Wall, Norm, Luke, Mann and PG. For the first three minutes, the experiment wasn’t disastrous, albeit allowing Indiana to get in the bonus at the 8:46 mark. Reggie Jackson then subbed in for Wall, and meshed seamlessly with the George-led unit, helping to give the Clips their largest lead of the game: up six with 5:27 left. Unfortunately, it appeared the gamble quickly began to backfire with Turner and Haliburton relentlessly targeting Luke and Reggie to get to the line or finish right through them. With it being a one-possession game with 3:47 left, Ty Lue revealed he was going to close with the starters. George and Haliburton dueled each other for the game’s next four buckets before the pattern was disrupted by two big plays — a Haliburton and-1 layup over Reggie and a wide-open Marcus Morris Sr. miss from three. Haliburton went on to force the issue again, drawing a foul on PG to put Indiana up three with 29 seconds left. George and Turner went on to match each other at the line with pairs of clutch free throws before Kawhi’s go-ahead, 30-foot 3-pointer to tie the game proved to be a bit too strong.

Clippers vs. Pacers Game Notes

• Turner, Haliburton Understood the Assignment: With the game in the balance, Turner and Haliburton did exactly what you want to see from your franchise’s best players. They routinely hit guys that were wide open, but also were otherwise unafraid to take the big shot themselves. Indiana truly played a great game offensively overall.
• 213Hoop’d: Before the game, Lue said that during the road trip, Kawhi has been playing the number of minutes that’s allowed him to unleash his ideal staggering pattern for him and PG. Well, the 213-duo showcased what that formula is capable of in this one, with George notching 12 in the second quarter and Kawhi dropping 17 in the third to pace the Clippers’ offense.
• Zu-boxed: The Pacers certainly made it a point of emphasis to not let Ivica Zubac drop 31 points and 29 rebounds again, going as far as doubling the big man in the post in the game’s opening possessions. With six points, seven rebounds and zero blocks in 27 minutes, it was a tough game for Zu, but it was good to see Lue still close with him down the stretch.

• Cool Hand Stays Cold: With two made 3s, three assists and extended time in the fourth, Luke Kennard was able to show some sense of life, but was kept in check overall. Norman Powell also had a bit of a quiet game, getting up just three field goal attempts despite getting to the line six times.
• Odd Mann Out?: With Nicolas Batum out with an ankle sprain, it appears Lue decided to split his freed-up minutes right down the middle and give them to Robert Covington and Terance Mann. RoCo played nine minutes in the first half before we realized it was all a façade and Terance played nine in the second. In a game in which a difference in energy could be seen for the better part of the affair, RoCo and Mann certainly seemed to be deserving of more burn and it remains questionable as to why these two’s minutes appear to be limited, as well as come at the cost of one another.

Up Next: The Clippers head home to host the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Monday, Jan. 2, at 7:30 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Pacers Recap: LA Falls in Fireworks Display
Ralston Dacanay

The LA Clippers (21-16) look to cap off 2022 and their five-game road trip with a win against the middling Indiana Pacers (19-17) Saturday afternoon. Read on for our full preview of the Clippers against the Pacers.

Clippers vs. Pacers Game Information

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
When: 12 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: KTLA, ClipperVision, AM 570 KLAC, KWKW

Projected Starting Lineups
LA Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – Andrew Nembhard – Buddy Hield – Aaron Nesmith – Myles Turner

Injury Report
LA Clippers: Nicolas Batum – QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Sprain), Brandon Boston Jr. – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Moussa Diabate – OUT (G League – Two-Way), Reggie Jackson – QUESTIONABLE (Left Achilles Soreness), Jason Preston – OUT (G League – On Assignment)

Indiana Pacers: Kendall Brown – OUT (Right Tibia Stress Reaction), Trevelin Queen – QUESTIONABLE (G League – Two-Way), Daniel Theis – OUT (Right Knee Surgery)

Update: The Clippers have downgraded Nicolas Batum (Left Ankle Sprain) to OUT and upgraded Reggie Jackson (Left Achilles Soreness) to AVAILABLE.
Update No. 2: The Pacers have downgraded Trevelin Queen (G League – Two-Way) to OUT.

The Big Picture

Following a dramatic loss in Boston, the Clippers find themselves 2-2 on their current road trip and squarely in the middle of the dogfight that is the Western Conference standings. This last stretch of games has been rocky as ever for the Clips this season, with their win at Toronto perhaps being the lone showing instilling much confidence in their development so far as a full crew. Questionable lineups and minutes rotations have, unfortunately, buried the lead for what’s been the most important takeaway for LAC moving forward: Kawhi Leonard nearly being back in full force. The Klaw played a season-high 37 minutes on Thursday, showcasing a level of form on the offensive end that Clippers fans have surely missed seeing.

Although Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson appear to be hobbled after the last contest, remaining questionable to play at all this New Year’s Eve, this should be a good opportunity for the Clippers to finish off the trip in a strong way and get back on track — albeit it won’t serve as much of a litmus test as the games against Philly and Boston did. The Clippers are fifth in the league in Overall Net Rating over the last 10 games. Let’s keep it going.

The Antagonist

The Indiana Pacers come into this one hoping to leave their fans feeling happy heading into 2023, as well as avoid getting swept in the regular season by the Clippers. Back in November, the Pacers got destroyed by Ivica Zubac, who notably led LAC with 31 points and 29 rebounds without Leonard, George and Kennard. With the sixth-best record so far out east, the Pacers are in solid shape considering how low expectations generally were for them heading into the season. Indiana has split their last 10 contests, tallying wins over the Warriors (sans Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson), Celtics, Heat, Hawks and Cavaliers. In each of those wins, the Pacers scored 111+, delivering on their promise this season to score at a higher clip and play at a faster pace to maximize the skills of their young guard and athletic bigs.

Aside from getting another look at perpetual trade-deadline target Myles Turner, the Clippers will have to deal with third-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is putting together a pretty convincing All-Star bid so far (shoutout Wally Szczerbiak). In late November, Haliburton became the first player in NBA history to record 40+ assists and no turnovers over any three-game span, which included his 15-point, 11-assist performance against the Clippers in DTLA. Haliburton currently leads the NBA this season in assists with an average of 10.2 per game, and in points/assists double-doubles with 18. Since he was acquired by Indiana last February, Haliburton has appeared in 58 games with the Pacers and recorded 30 double-doubles.

Clippers vs. Pacers Game Notes

• Pacing the Perimeter: Indiana is 10-2 this season when at least six of their players score in double figures. As shown by their 135-126 win over Cleveland on Thursday, the Pacers have a lot of players who can shoot the three-ball if given the chance. Overall, 37.5% of Indiana’s points have come from 3-pointers, which is the fourth-highest percentage in the NBA this season. The Clippers have been one of the best teams in guarding the three this year (No. 3 in OPP 3P%) and will need to stay sharp in that regard, especially with Buddy Hield (No. 1 in 3PM) out there.
• Feed the Cool Hand: As pointed out by our very own Lucas Hann, Luke Kennard has now put up two scoreless games in a row after having just one all of last season. Kennard played just 17 minutes in both of those games, went 0-4 from the field against the Raptors and didn’t even get up a shot against the Celtics. The Clippers should look to get Luke going in this one, especially since he’s historically shot the lights out at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
• #FreeRoCo: As mentioned earlier, it’s hard to talk about the Clippers at the moment without mentioning the awkward omission of Robert Covington from the rotation. There could be a million different theories as to why Ty Lue has decided to not give RoCo any sort of meaningful minutes this season. Regardless, on a day where Batum and Reggie are dinged up and it’s the final game of a tiring road trip, I’d love to see RoCo play some basketball for once. Of course, this plea will probably be for nothing, which in that case, at least give Terance Mann some more minutes.

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Indiana Pacers. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Pacers Preview: Closing Out in Indy
Ralston Dacanay

After another 30-point win vs the Pacers, the Clippers’ GPAs just keep climbing. Let’s check out Clippers vs Pacers player grades after Sunday evening’s destruction.

Clippers Starter Grades

Patrick Beverley: A-. This wasn’t a particularly explosive Patrick Beverley game (the same is true for the entire starting lineup), but he really just did everything that was needed to make the right plays against a Pacers defense that overplayed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, leaving space behind them for other Clippers to thrive. Beverley had 11 points, making a couple of threes, and importantly came up with 6 assists as he found shooters as a secondary playmaker when Leonard and George got the ball away from Indiana’s pressure.

Paul George: A-. It was a quiet night for George, but he was lethally efficient as his 20 points came on just 11 field goal attempts. For the most part, Paul’s job tonight was to just absorb the Pacers’ pressure, protect the ball, draw a second defender, and find an outlet–the rest of the Clippers took it from there. It was a simple night for PG where the threat he poses was enough to shape the Pacers’ defense in a way that opened up plentiful good opportunities for others. Speaking of getting to the rim, PG might have had the dunk of the year for the Clippers tonight.

Kawhi Leonard: A-. I don’t have a ton to say for Kawhi that doesn’t apply to PG, though it should be noted that I particularly appreciate his 5 assists to just 1 turnover as well as his real emphasis on taking over in the third quarter, which is when the Clippers truly blew this game open and put the Pacers away.

Nicolas Batum: B-. This game wasn’t Nic’s best. He made a couple of corner threes but was mostly invisible offensively on a night when almost everyone got to try their hand as a secondary playmaker, and he had a few defensive lapses early in the game while guarding Doug McDermott that led Indiana to most of their sparse offense in the early going.

Ivica Zubac: C+. Given the opportunity to start with Serge Ibaka unavailable tonight due to non-COVID illness, Zu had a fine, if underwhelming night. When he played, he was good but not great. Offensively, he made smart plays early on to bust a fronting Pacers defense, getting a dunk on a loft pass on an out-of-bounds play as well as a driving dunk when Domantas Sabonis left an open lane in an attempt to deny a dribble handoff. Add in some great passing off the short roll and he had himself a night. Defensively, results were mixed. He had a great opening on Sabonis, the Pacers’ best player, but as Sabonis got reps against Patterson on LAC’s second unit he built some momentum that kept going when Zu returned. That was the main issue for Zu tonight–foul trouble. I think he caught a couple of bad breaks but nonetheless, when he’s gifted a chance to start and play heavy minutes with Serge out he should really make sure he stays on the floor.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Marcus Morris: A. I mentioned above that most of the starters were not particularly explosive tonight, with Kawhi and PG mostly attracting defensive pressure and deferring to others who made shots. So if Pat was quiet and Nic was quiet and Serge and Lou both didn’t play, who stepped up? Well, Marcus Morris had himself a night–his first 20-point outing as a Clipper, on 7-11 from the field, 4-7 from deep, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Morris might not be a star, but you can see in the short time he’s been a Clipper why his versatility is so valuable to this team–he’s been a spot-up shooter, a switchable defender, a secondary playmaker, and now an explosive second-unit scorer. The game ball is his tonight.

Luke Kennard: A. More bench explosiveness, as Luke also recorded his first 20-point game with the club hitting 5 triples to go along with 4 boards and a pair of assists. He did miss three straight wide open threes in the second quarter as Indiana rallied from down 18 to come back within 3, but they were good shots at the right time in the offense and the misses didn’t phase him–they were his only inaccurate shots from deep on the night as he finished 5-8. And his touch pass in transition to find Patrick Patterson in the opposite corner was an absolute dime.

Patrick Patterson: B+. Pressed into duty at center with Ibaka sidelined, and then given additional minutes with Zubac in foul trouble, Patterson made a nice impact on the team’s offensive attack while somewhat hampering their efforts on the other end of the floor. It’s just hard to really find a place for him defensively–he can’t defend Sabonis one-on-one or when he’s screening, and matching him up with a forward presents a huge speed disadvantage. Offensively, though, he connected on 3-6 from downtown (despite two wide open corner misses in the same second-quarter stretch where Kennard had his 3 misses), and his spacing influenced a number of second-quarter plays where he didn’t touch the ball. With rim protector extraordinaire Myles Turner sidelined for Indiana and Sabonis forced to respect Patterson’s jumper, Paul George had a ton of success getting to the rim in the second quarter.

Reggie Jackson: C. In the saga of “Good Reggie, Bad Reggie,” the Clippers got bad Reggie tonight after getting the very best version of good Reggie on Friday against the Kings. He forced things offensively, resulting in bad shots, instead of letting the game come to him for open threes and driving lanes. Then, in garbage time, he simply wasn’t focused and oversaw a barrage of turnovers–including an 8-second violation where he wasn’t paying attention–that the Clippers were lucky didn’t threaten their lead.

Terance Mann: B. Terance was fine in garbage time minutes tonight but his most notable moment was getting his pocket picked by TJ McConnell early in the fourth. Not a ton to take away here. He was +7 in his 11 fourth quarter minutes, but that was mostly PG slamming the door shut in the opening possessions of the period while Terance watched.

Amir Coffey: B+. The garbage time Pacers didn’t put up much of a fight–Indiana’s injuries not only pulled more guys into their rotation but took away depth bodies as well, and the four guys who only came in for garbage time combined to shoot 1-9 from the field. But, Amir is on blowout duty for the Clippers and his lineups got a +2 in the final 7 minutes of the game. That’s his only job.

Mfiondu Kabengele: B. Fi had one big block and a couple of boards, but didn’t get a shot up and was pretty invisible in 5 minutes outside of that rejection. Nothing bad, one great play, and the team won his minutes, but still far from anything suggesting he’s more than what we currently think he is.

Daniel Oturu: A-. Oturu did nicely for himself in garbage time, scoring on a short turnaround jumper, logging an assist in transition, and fighting on the offensive glass. I am not expecting him to break into LAC’s rotation anytime soon, but I do think he’s shown more NBA potential in this young season than Fi has in the same span plus a full season last year. I think he should be getting called before Fi in garbage time, and in situations like tonight where one of LAC’s normal centers are out, I wouldn’t hate to see Oturu get a few reps off the bench with the big boys.

Not Graded

Serge Ibaka missed the game with a non-COVID illness, Lou Williams remained out tonight with a minor hip issue, and Jay Scrubb is still in a walking boot after foot surgery in December. Other than that, every Clipper played, every Clipper scored, and every Clipper received a grade.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs Pacers Player Grades
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 12th bubble games? You’re in the right place.

With each team playing just eight “seeding games” in Orlando before the playoffs begin, there’s limited time to both battle for playoff positioning as well as build momentum after a four-month layoff. That means that, while we obviously want the Clippers to be successful, Clippers fans can’t just pay attention to LAC–nearly every game played in the NBA over this two-week span is important to the playoff picture.

Tuesday was full of action in the race for the Western Conference play-in tournament, with all four competing teams playing. Plus, the Houston Rockets picked up a crucial loss that give the Clippers a lot more control over how the standings will unfold this week.

The NBA’s August 12th Bubble Games

All times Pacific time.

Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets, 1:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Indiana Pacers

The NBA’s August 12th bubble games tip off later than most days, but with a game we’ll definitely want to keep our eyes on. After the Rockets’ loss to the Spurs Tuesday, the Clippers have clinched a top-3 seed and Houston’s chances of moving up from 4th have been greatly reduced. Still, Houston can pass Denver if the right combination of things happen. The Rockets winning both of their remaining games, this one and their finale against Philadelphia on Friday, is part of that formula.

So, we’d be thrilled to see Houston drop this one. The Rockets can no longer fall to 6th, thanks to some losses from Utah and Oklahoma City, so another loss guarantees they’ll find themselves in the 4-5 match-up. That means they’d face the Lakers in the second round, and that’s the match-up we’ve been trying to engineer all along.

The other way to block Houston out would be a Nuggets win. Denver’s last two games Wednesday night against the Clippers and Friday afternoon against Toronto. We’ll talk about that Clippers-Nuggets match-up in a minute.

Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers, 3:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Toronto Raptors

Right now, Miami is in 4th place in the East with a narrow lead over Philly and Indiana. Of those three teams, Miami is the best challenger for the Milwaukee Bucks, but there’s really no easy way to separate Indiana and Philadelphia. The Sixers are more talented, but consistently disappoint, while the Pacers have played better but don’t have the star power or experience to inspire confidence deep in the playoffs.

I’m going with a Philly loss here, since it would help secure Miami’s 4-5 finish. The Heat have a head-to-head with Indiana remaining, so there’s a (very unlikely) scenario where Miami falls all the way to 6th. A Philly loss eliminates that scenario. In reality, though, this is the least significant of the NBA’s August 12th bubble games.

Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Rooting for: Miami Heat

Same reasoning here re: Miami–we want them to lock up 4th (or 5th, there’s no difference on a neutral court). For Oklahoma City, there’s a small chance that the Thunder could slip from 5th and find themselves in the 3-6 match-up instead–which might be preferable, as the beat-up Denver Nuggets look a bit less scary than the Houston Rockets right now.

But currently in 6th are the Utah Jazz, and nobody wants to avoid Houston more than them. Losing this one isn’t enough for OKC to fall to 6th, as they’d also need to lose to the Clippers on Friday and the Jazz would need to win Thursday against San Antonio. My gut tells me that if OKC drops this game to Miami, then Utah rests their guys tomorrow night.

To recap a discussion from previous days, we’d rather see OKC drop to 6th because they’d give Denver a tough first-round series, hopefully leading to an LAC rest advantage in the second round, while Houston should have an easy time with Utah, minimizing the Lakers’ rest advantage in the second round.

You might ask, since OKC losing here likely means Utah giving the Spurs a free win tomorrow, why we wouldn’t want an OKC win. The domino effect says OKC win means Utah trying harder against the Spurs which means better odds of Portland and/or Phoenix making the play-in tournament over the Spurs. But the reality is that SAS-UTA is an elimination game for the Spurs, and the Jazz will either be locked into 6th or need to lose to avoid 5th (and Houston), so the Spurs should win either way. It’ll be up to Portland and Phoenix to take care of business (and hopefully Memphis to lose).

LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets, 6:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: LA Clippers if Houston loses to Indiana, Denver Nuggets if Houston beats Indiana

This is clearly the most impactful of the NBA’s August 12th bubble games–but that doesn’t mean we want the Clippers to win it.

If the Houston Rockets lose their afternoon game to the Indiana Pacers, then the Clippers and Nuggets are locked in to the 2-3 match-up. In that case, the Clippers should beat Denver, clinch 2nd place, and guarantee their first-round match-up with the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers are 3-0 against the Mavs this season, winning by an average of 11 points. The loss would lock Denver in to 3rd place, most likely facing the Utah Jazz (reference back to our 5-6 OKC-Utah discussion above).

If the Rockets win, however–and it sounds like they will, as Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Eric Gordon are all expected to play and the Pacers are resting players–then I’m going to switch perspectives here and hope that the Clippers pull their starters early and concede this game to Denver. Let’s explore this scenario a bit more.

The Nuggets’ win over LAC would clinch a top-3 seed, meaning Houston would be locked in 4th regardless of what happens on the final night of the season. Remember, Houston’s Tuesday loss clinched a top-3 seed for LAC, so there’s no peril for the Clippers to slide into the Lakers’ side of the bracket. Even after losing to Denver, the Clippers are in control for the 2-seed, they just wouldn’t have clinched it yet. LA would need either a win on Friday against Oklahoma City or a Nuggets loss on Friday to Toronto to finish 2nd. The Nuggets play before the Clippers, meaning LAC would know by tip-off if they need the victory to clinch, allowing them to make an informed choice regarding match-ups.

In order for Denver to pass the Clippers, they’d need to beat Toronto Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder would need to beat LA. Unlikely, but certainly possible. Losing to Denver means eliminating the possibility of Houston rising to 3rd, at a cost of creating a possibility for Denver to pass LAC for 2nd. So, what are the ramifications of falling to 3rd?

The Dallas Mavericks are guaranteed to finish 7th, so the 2nd seed will automatically play them. Falling to third means a different first-round opponent–but it can only possibly be the Jazz, not the Thunder. Like I said above, Utah could still potentially move ahead of OKC in the standings–but that requires OKC to lose both of their remaining games. If OKC loses to the Clippers, LAC clinches 2nd. If OKC beats the Clippers, OKC clinches 5th. The two cannot meet in the first round this year.

So, the real question is if a 3-6 series vs Utah is better or worse than a 2-7 series vs Dallas. Remember, there’s no home-court advantage inside the bubble, and Bojan Bogdanovic is out for the Jazz–they’re just 2-5 in bubble play so far. While the Clippers have been very successful against the Mavericks this season, the Mavs have been more competitive (but still not great) in the bubble. Frankly, I don’t feel a strong preference for either opponent, which is why I would prioritize helping Denver clinch finishing above Houston to set up LAL-HOU in the second round.

Let me summarize (assuming Houston beats Indiana today):

If Denver beats the Clippers Wednesday, and Denver beats Toronto Friday, and Oklahoma City beats the Clippers Friday, LAC plays Utah in the 3-6.

If Denver beats the Clippers Wednesday and Friday yields any other combination of outcomes, LAC plays Dallas in the 2-7.

If the Clippers beat Denver Wednesday, and Toronto beats Denver Friday, and Houston beats Philadelphia Friday, LAC plays Dallas in the 2-7 and Houston passes Denver for 3rd.

If the Clippers beat Denver Wednesday and Friday yields any other combination of outcomes, LAC plays Dallas in the 2-7 and Denver holds on to 3rd.

Tuesday’s Games

Brooklyn Nets 108, Orlando Magic 96

We were rooting for: Orlando Magic

These teams were wise and chose not to beat up on each other, since both have uphill battles ahead of them in the first round. Brooklyn plays Toronto in the 2-7 while Orlando will face Milwaukee in the 1-8.

Houston Rockets 105, San Antonio Spurs 123

We were rooting for: San Antonio Spurs

This was the most important result for the Clippers, who clinched a top-3 seed with this Houston loss. Remember the above scenarios for what can happen if the Clippers beat or lose to Denver? If Houston had won this game, LAC beating Denver would put Houston in the driver’s seat for 3rd, while Denver beating LAC would have opened the door for the Clippers to slide all the way to 4th if they lost to Oklahoma City on Friday. This was a huge sigh of relief.

The Spurs, on the other hand, are still alive–but they need help. All four teams competing for the 8/9 play-in in the Western Conference have 4 games left. The Spurs are in back of that bunch. So, not only do they need to beat Utah on Thursday–they need at least two of Portland, Memphis, and Phoenix to lose in their finales as well. A loss Thursday eliminates them outright.

Phoenix Suns 130, Philadelphia 76ers 117

We were rooting for: Phoenix Suns

The Suns have been the hottest team in Orlando, and improved to 7-0 with this win. They conclude their seeding games Thursday afternoon against the Dallas Mavericks, in a game that means nothing for Dallas and could feature rest on the Mavs’ side. For Phoenix, a loss means elimination. A win keeps them alive, and needing either a Portland loss to Brooklyn Thursday evening or a Grizzlies loss to Milwaukee Thursday afternoon to move into 9th. If both Portland and Memphis lose, Phoenix could rise all the way to 8th, with 9th falling to either the Spurs (if they beat Utah) or the Blazers (if Utah beats the Spurs).

Philly’s tragic number (Philly losses or Indiana wins before the Sixers are guaranteed to finish 6th behind Indiana) is now just 1.

Boston Celtics 122, Memphis Grizzlies 107

We were rooting for: Boston Celtics

It feels bad to beat up on the Grizzlies, an exciting young team that played hard and well all season long. But they’ve been bad in the bubble, and with this loss fell to 1-6. They’re without Jaren Jackson Jr., likely their best player. Portland and Phoenix are simply the two teams that have been the most compelling in the bubble and would make for the most competitive play-in tournament.

But Memphis’ success throughout the year while other teams struggled has left them in the position to make the play-in regardless of their bubble struggles. They lost here to a Boston team that played its starters in a meaningless game, where competitors have gotten free wins. It’s a bad break.

The Grizzlies’ final game now comes against Milwaukee on Thursday. If they win, they’re guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament, despite going just 2-6. If Portland also wins their finale, the Blazers will be 8th to Memphis’ 9th. If Portland loses, Memphis would be 8th to either Phoenix (with a Suns win), San Antonio (with a Suns loss and a Spurs win), or Portland (with a Suns loss and a Spurs loss).

If Memphis loses, their chances of a play-in spot plummet. Their only hope would be to finish 9th to Portland’s 8th (regardless of if the Blazers win or lose their finale), and in order to do so they would need the Spurs and Suns to each lose.

Portland Trail Blazers 134, Dallas Mavericks 131

We were rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

Wow. Wow. What a fun game. Seriously, if you missed it, try to go re-watch the fourth quarter. Damian Lillard scored sixty-one points and the Mavericks made a late-game barrage of their own to keep it close.

For Dallas, this loss locks them in to the 7th seed. For the Blazers, it keeps a play-in berth likely instead of leaving them needing a lot of help from other teams. Portland now controls their own destiny for the 8th seed–if they beat the Nets on Thursday, they’ll be 8th outright.

If they lose, they’ll need 2/3 of Phoenix, Memphis, and San Antonio to lose as well. In essence, that means it’s another must-win for Dame and the Blazers.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards

New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings

We were rooting for: taking the night off…

…And that’s what I’m doing! Both of these games have no standings implications, so I’m going to go ahead and publish this article before they finish. Two notes, though:

Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected early in Bucks-Wizards for headhunting Moe Wagner. He’ll likely be suspended–but it’s unclear how many games, or if it will apply to the playoffs or to the start next season. My guess, based on precedent, is 1-2 games.

Former Clipper Sindarius Thornwell was signed by the Pelicans as a replacement player before the bubble began, and hasn’t gotten many minutes as the Pelicans tried to make the play-in tournament. But now that they’re eliminated and resting their stars, Sin got second-unit minutes in this one and played quite well. It would be great to see him land on a roster next season.

Stay tuned in to 213Hoops every day of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble for a new Rooting Interests.

Check out the spreadsheet for updated seeding scenarios.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 12th Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 8th bubble games? You’re in the right place.

With each team playing just eight “seeding games” in Orlando before the playoffs begin, there’s limited time to both battle for playoff positioning as well as build momentum after a four-month layoff. That means that, while we obviously want the Clippers to be successful, Clippers fans can’t just pay attention to LAC–nearly every game played in the NBA over this two-week span is important to the playoff picture.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ surprising win was the key headline in yesterday’s games, as they significantly boosted their odds of staying in the Western Conference play-in tournament and put a number of teams behind them on the brink of elimination. Saturday brings another full slate of games.

The NBA’s August 8th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

LA Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00am, TNT

Rooting for: surprise! The LA Clippers!

Saturday’s morning game is the most controversial of the NBA’s August 8th bubble games, impacting both Western Conference races we’ve been tracking.

I’m going to write a bit here–the most I’ve written for any game in Rooting Interests–but it’s going to be focused on the seeding races. For an actual preview of the basketball game, check out 213Hoops’ game preview.

For the first time in these, there’s actually likely to be some debate about whether we want the Clippers to win (in fact, the debate already began in 213Hoops’ comments yesterday). The argument for the Blazers is that since Portland is likely the toughest 8-seed match-up for the Lakers, the Clippers could rest their starters and help Portland in the race for 8th.

I get it–I’ve been as much of a proponent of the Blazers as anyone. And I’m not opposed to strategically resting guys to help set up the 1-8 matchup we prefer. But I think 2 things are true: first, the Blazers are likely to end up in the 1-8 with or without this game (we’ll talk a lot about the race for 8th today), and second, setting up Lakers-Blazers in the first round is less important than setting up Lakers-Rockets in the second.

Losing to Portland to help set up that 1-8 series could put the Lakers-Rockets match-up at risk, as the Clippers could end up needing to beat Denver on August 12th, opening the door for Houston to move past the Nuggets into 3rd.

If the Clippers win their two games this weekend, against Portland Saturday morning and Brooklyn Sunday evening, they’ll be 4-2 in the bubble, putting them in a strong position to secure the 2nd seed. Even if they lose their 7th and 8th games (vs Denver and OKC), that would leave them with a .667 win percentage–a mark the Nuggets could only beat by winning out and going 6-2.

Denver plays two games between now and Wednesday’s LAC vs DEN game–today vs the Jazz, and Monday vs the Lakers. If the Clippers win both of their games this weekend and Denver loses at least one of their two games, the Clippers will have clinched the 2 seed. Then, they can rest players against Denver to help them lock up 3rd (while also not giving the Nuggets reps against LA’s starters).

If the Clippers and Nuggets both win both of their next 2 games, we’ll have to consider how Houston does in between now and then. If the Rockets lose a game (Sunday vs Sacramento, Tuesday vs San Antonio, and Wednesday afternoon vs Indiana before LAC-DEN tips off), then Denver will have clinched 2nd and LAC can beat them with no regrets. If all three teams win all their games between now and LAC-DEN, it might be a good idea to throw the game even if it puts the 2-seed in peril. The good news is that even if the Clippers lose their head-to-head to Denver and the Nuggets win out, LAC can clinch 2nd by winning their finale against OKC.

Since that was a lot, I made a spreadsheet of possible outcomes for the 7 games in question and what LAC should do in each scenario, with the following priority rankings:

1. Do not risk falling to 4th
2. Keep Houston 4th
3. Finish ahead of Denver

So, in theory, I’d rather share the 2/3 with Houston than fall to 4th, but I’d rather finish 3rd to Denver’s 2nd than 2nd to Houston’s 3rd. Long story short, losing to Portland increases the odds that the Clippers will either a) need to beat Denver to clinch 2nd or b) need to throw to Denver to keep Houston 4th, but put 2nd in risk to do so.

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets, 12:30pm, TNT

Rooting for: Denver Nuggets

Speak of the devil. This game doesn’t influence the play-in race, but ties Clippers-Blazers for the most important of the NBA’s August 8th bubble games. While Denver is on the Clippers’ heels and a Nuggets loss helps them get closer to clinching 2nd, remember that I’m prioritizing keeping Houston 4th over clinching 2nd. So, Denver maintaining their narrow lead over Houston is important here.

The bonus is that the Jazz, who haven’t looked particularly threatening in the bubble, get pushed closer to a 6th-place finish with this loss. That’s good news, since it gives the Clippers a fairly easy first-round series in the few scenarios where they have to jeopardize the 2-seed to keep Denver ahead of Houston.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers, 3:00pm, TNT

Rooting for: Los Angeles Lakers

In terms of seeding races, it would help to see the Pacers lose here, as they’re currently tied for 5th/6th in the East with Philadelphia, and the Sixers likely pose a bigger challenge for Milwaukee in the 2nd round if they can make it to 5th. One perk of keeping this race close: Houston’s last 2 games are against the Pacers and Sixers. It would help keep the Rockets away from 3rd if those teams were trying to win.

To be honest though, watching the game I’m sure we’ll all be pulling for the underdog Pacers against the Clippers’ rivals. The bonus to a Pacers win would be that the Lakers’ bubble struggles would continue–I’m not taking it too seriously, since LAL has handily clinched the 1-seed, but they’d drop to 2-4 in Orlando.

Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat, 4:30pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Phoenix Suns

After Memphis’ surprise win against the Thunder yesterday, the margin for error for any non-Portland team to pass the Grizzlies became 0. The Suns, Pelicans, and Spurs would each need to be perfect–with Memphis losing out the rest of the way–to make a play for 9th. The Kings can no longer pass Memphis after their loss Friday.

Here’s what I’m rooting for in the play-in tournament: Portland in 8th vs either Memphis or Phoenix in 9th. Since the 8th-place team only needs to win once, on August 16th or 17th, while the 9th place team would need to win on the 16th and 17th, the Blazers finishing 8th and having an easy match-up would mean one fewer game before game 1 vs the Lakers.

If Portland has to play both games of the play-in tournament, then game 1 of the playoffs would be their 7th game in 10 nights. Giving them a break would be nice. My only exception to wanting the Blazers to face the Grizzlies, the easiest potential play-in opponent, would be the Suns–because if Phoenix can actually pull off an 8-0 bubble and then beat Portland twice, their unbelievable hot streak would make them the best opponent to face the Lakers.

On Miami’s side of things, this loss puts them a little closer to Indiana and Philly in a 4-5-6 cluster, but ultimately things will come down to their two remaining head-to-head games against the Pacers, so I’m not sweating this result for them.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks, 6:00pm, TNT

Rooting for: Milwaukee Bucks

After a high-impact morning, the nightcap is the least important of the NBA’s August 8th bubble games. Milwaukee has clinched 1st in the East, and Dallas has clinched 7th in the West–so the only thing that can happen here is the Clippers’ likely first-round opponents, already just 1-3 in the bubble, continue slumping a bit and have their confidence shaken.

Yesterday’s Games

Utah Jazz 111, San Antonio Spurs 119

We were rooting for: San Antonio Spurs

Oklahoma City Thunder 92, Memphis Grizzlies 121

We were rooting for: Memphis Grizzlies

I’m going to combine the breakdowns for these two games since they’re so closely related. The primary win here for the Clippers is that Utah and OKC both lost–now they both have one more loss than Houston, drastically reducing the chances of the Rockets sliding down to 6th. Slowly, Houston is getting boxed in to the 4-5, just as the Clippers want.

For the Spurs and Grizzlies, Memphis’ win reduced the margin for error to every non-Portland team pushing for the West play-in tournament to 0. That means it’s good for San Antonio that they won, as it keeps their play-in hopes alive.

If the Spurs win their last 3 games (NOP, HOU, UTA), they’ll finish 6-2, ahead of a 1-7 Memphis, any Portland record 5-3 or worse, and any Suns record 7-1 or worse. If they go 2-1, they cannot pass Memphis and their only hope is that the Blazers (currently 3-1) finish 4-4 or worse and the Suns (currently 4-0) finish 6-2 or worse. At 1-2, they aren’t mathematically eliminated, but would need Portland to lose out and Phoenix to lose 2 games.

Sacramento Kings 106, Brooklyn Nets 119

We were rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

The Nets’ win helps them stay in 7th in the East, leaving the stronger Orlando Magic in 8th to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. It’s the preferable seeding outcome for LAC, but in the most marginal way.

The Kings’ loss leaves them unable to pass Memphis, meaning that their only path toward 9th place and the play-in is winning out and Portland losing out and New Orleans finishing 1-2 or worse in their last 3 and San Antonio finishing 1-2 or worse in their last 3 and Phoenix going 2-2 or worse in their last 4. At the end of the day, the fact that they won’t get that much help from the other teams doesn’t even matter–the Kings just lost to Brooklyn and are 1-4 in the bubble, they aren’t winning all of their last 3 games.

Orlando Magic 101, Philadelphia 76ers 108

We were rooting for: Philadelphia 76ers

We wanted Philly here to help them potentially climb into the 4-5 match-up (for the reasoning discussed above when we talked about Indiana), as well as keep Orlando in the 1-8 (for the reasoning discussed above when we talked about Brooklyn). It worked, but Philly didn’t make it easy.

Washington Wizards 107, New Orleans Pelicans 118

We were rooting for: Washington Wizards

The Pelicans are on the cusp of elimination, so a Wizards win would have helped push them out of the race and start clearing up the field for the desired Portland – Memphis/Phoenix play-in match-up.

New Orleans has a legitimate chance to make the play-in, as they’re now 2-3 and their last three games are against San Antonio, Sacramento, and Orlando. A 5-3 finish is certainly in play, and it would beat out a 1-7 Memphis record, any Portland record 4-4 or worse, and anything but 8-0 from the Suns. If 2 of those 3 conditions are met, they’d make the play-in.

Boston Celtics 122, Toronto Raptors 120

We were rooting for: Toronto Raptors

Toronto is essentially locked at 2nd in the East, and Boston 3rd, so this game didn’t mean much. There could only be movement if one of the teams loses out and the team behind them wins out (the Raptors have 4 games left and are 4 losses ahead of Boston, the Celtics have 3 games left and are 3 losses ahead of 4th-place Miami).

Stay tuned in to 213Hoops every day of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble for a new Rooting Interests.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 8th Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 6th bubble games? You’re in the right place.

With each team playing just eight “seeding games” in Orlando before the playoffs begin, there’s limited time to both battle for playoff positioning as well as build momentum after a four-month layoff. That means that, while we obviously want the Clippers to be successful, Clippers fans can’t just pay attention to LAC–nearly every game played in the NBA over this two-week span is important to the playoff picture.

Of all of the NBA’s August 6th bubble games, our eyes will be on Clippers vs Mavericks today, as LAC looks to improve on their 1-2 start against the team that is their most likely first round opponent.

The NBA’s August 6th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings, 10:30am, NBATV

Rooting for: Sacramento Kings

The Kings are 0-3 in the bubble and have played so poorly for so long that Kings fans are calling for general manager Vlade Divac’s resignation. With their 0-3 record, they’re at the very edge of elimination, as a 3-5 or worse finish would keep them behind even an 0-8 Memphis. That means 4-4 is the minimal hope. At least one, if not two, of Portland, San Antonio, and New Orleans will also beat that mark. With games left against the Pelicans twice, the Nets, Rockets, and Lakers, it’s likely curtains for the Kings if they leave themselves needing perfection with games left against two of the conference’s best teams.

But we aren’t rooting for the Kings because we care about their hopes–in fact, it’s their lack of hope that’s why we’re hoping for them to pull this one off. Right now, the West play-in tournament is slated to be between Memphis and Portland. I expect Memphis to slide to 10th or lower without Jaren Jackson Jr., but in case the Grizzlies steal a couple of games, Portland needs to fend off New Orleans and San Antonio.

The Pelicans, with the friendliest remaining schedule in the league (Sacramento, Washington, San Antonio, Sacramento, Orlando), are the biggest threat to Portland right now.

Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks, 1:00pm, TNT

Rooting for: Miami Heat

Bam Adebayo vs Giannis Antetokounmpo should make for a fun match-up in this one, even if the Heat are without Jimmy Butler and/or Goran Dragic.

It’s hard to call the Bucks’ 1-2 start to the bubble shaky when they’re clearly embracing it by rotating their lineups to get different guys playing time. This is essentially pre-season for Milwaukee, who can only lose the 1-seed if they finish 1-7 and Toronto goes a perfect 8-0. I’m not going to take that potentiality seriously for now.

But Miami’s chances of passing the Boston Celtics, while slim, are more worth monitoring right now. Miami (2-1 in the bubble) needs to lose 3 fewer bubble games than Boston (2-2) to pull ahead (Boston has the tiebreaker after winning the season series 2-1), so the margin for error for the Heat is slim. If the Heat win out, they’d need Boston to split their last 4 games against Toronto, Orlando, Memphis, and Washington 2-2. That’s already unlikely. Any Heat loss essentially ends this race.

Remember, of course, that we only want Miami to pass Boston because we think the Celtics are the better team–and therefore a more formidable challenger to Milwaukee in a second-round series from the 4-5.

Indiana Pacers vs Phoenix Suns, 1:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Phoenix Suns

This is probably the lowest-stakes of the NBA’s August 6th bubble games, but what the hell. This might be recency bias, but the Suns’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday impressed me. They’re 3-0 in the bubble with Devin Booker averaging over 30 points, and while LAC was their only impressive win in those 3, you can only give them credit for playing the teams on the schedule. The Suns clearly came to Orlando with something to prove, and they’re doing it so far.

If Phoenix is capable of having big enough nights to beat the Clippers and Bucks, it only figures that they have the firepower to be a threat to take a game off of the Lakers in the first round, right? The Suns would essentially need a perfect bubble–even 7-1 ties them with Memphis, and the Grizzlies won the season series 3-1–plus help from other teams, but I wouldn’t hate to see a Portland vs Phoenix play-in game. And the fanbase could sure as hell use it (you could say this for the Kings too, but their roster isn’t winning games).

The Pacers are less important overall, as I haven’t worked out any significant preference for where the Clippers would like them to land, but they’re a helluva fun watch with TJ Warren the early MVP of the bubble.

LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks, 3:30pm, TNT

Rooting for: LA Clippers

A preview of the likely first-round 2-7 series in the Western Conference! The Clippers will not want to show their hand here, but also do need to start winning some games if they want to hold on to 2nd.

Check out Niels Pineda’s game preview here.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets, 5:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

The most impactful non-Clippers contest of the NBA’s August 6th bubble games, with two factors at play here: Portland’s push to the play-in tournament, and Denver’s status in the top half of the Western Conference. As far as Clipper priories go, Denver is the more important team, as they are directly challenging LAC for the 2-seed.

The Clippers need the Nuggets to walk a bit of a tight rope in the back half of bubble play. Obviously, LAC wants to hold on to 2nd place (although if the Utah Jazz, currently narrowly in 4th, fall to 6th, it might not be a big deal). But perhaps even more important is keeping the Houston Rockets out of third place. Houston and Denver are each 2-1, and if Houston wins out (LAL, SAC, SAS, IND, PHI) they’ll need the Nuggets to finish 4-4 (last 4 games after this one against Portland: UTA, LAL, LAC, TOR) in order to move into 3rd.

Denver’s ability to go 4-4 with that remaining schedule isn’t certain, but I also don’t fully buy Houston’s high-variance offense going undefeated against several good teams. For now, a Denver loss helps protect the Clippers’ 2nd seed more than a Rockets rise threatens their second-round matchup. But we’ll likely root for Denver in future games, keeping them walking the tightrope between LAC and HOU.

The Blazers, our preferred 8-seed, likely need a 5-3 record in the bubble to secure a spot in the play-in game (4-4 or 3-5 leaves things a bit up in the air based on other teams). They’re 2-1, with this game, LAC, PHI, DAL, and BKN left on their schedule. A win here against Denver puts them in a strong position.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets, 6:00pm, TNT

Rooting for: Houston Rockets

This one is tough. Houston (2-1 in the bubble) is currently in 5th, a half-game behind 4th-place Utah (2-2) and a half-game ahead of 6th-place OKC (2-1). The Clippers want to keep the Rockets out of 3rd and 6th.

But after today’s game against the Lakers, I expect Houston to go 3-1 in their last 4, while OKC should finish 3-2 (4-1 if the Clippers rest guys in the finale) and Utah 3-1. Given Denver’s difficult remaining schedule likely producing a 4-4 or 3-5 finish, that leaves those 4 teams all very close to each other from 3-6. For now, though, Denver still has a 2-loss lead, so we’ll work with the information we have. But if we end up with a Denver loss (to a sub-.500 team) and a Rockets win (vs the 1-seed) tonight, Houston’s odds at the 3 will jump dramatically.

Things are nudged a little Houston’s way by my general dislike for the Lakers, and any potential impact this loss could have on their mentality, especially if they do end up seeing the Rockets in the playoffs.

Yesterday’s Games

Memphis Grizzlies 115, Utah Jazz 124

We were rooting for: Memphis Grizzlies

It’s not a surprise to see Memphis lose here, but a Jazz loss would have drastically reduced Houston’s chances of falling to 6. The Grizz move to 0-4 (remaining: OKC, Toronto, Boston, Milwaukee); 2-6 keeps them in the play-in tournament, 1-7 leaves things up in the air, and 0-8 likely leaves them out. No offense to the Grizzlies, but with JJJ out, we’d like to see other teams in the play-in games.

Philadelphia 76ers 107, Washington Wizards 98

We were rooting for: Philadelphia 76ers

Yesterday, I had this to say:

this is a freebie for the Sixers, as Washington is primed to go 0-8 in the bubble. Unfortunately, they’re the Sixers, so they might lose just for the hell of it.

It almost came true! The Sixers are very likely going to finish 6th in the East, away from Milwaukee’s side of the bracket, but this win keeps the door open. The Pacers are a game ahead of them and hold the tiebreaker, so Philly (ORL, PDX, PHX, TOR, HOU) needs to outplay Indiana (PHX, LAL, MIA, HOU, MIA) by 2 games the rest of the way.

Denver Nuggets 132, San Antonio Spurs 126

We were rooting for: Denver Nuggets

I got some pushback in the comments for picking Denver, who is now just a half-game behind the Clippers in the 2-3 race. But due to the Nuggets’ extra game played (a loss) before the season was suspended, they’d need to outplay the Clippers by another game in each team’s final 5 games to pass them on win %. For example, a 4-1 Nuggets finish leaves them at 6-2, with a 67.1% winning percentage. The Clippers could finish 4-1 (5-3 overall) and finish at 68.1%. Crucial is the remaining head-to-head between the two teams.

The Spurs are now 2-2. They need to go 3-1 in their last 4 games (UTA, NOP, HOU, UTA) to have a shot at the play-in–if they go 2-2, they’ll finish 4-4, behind even an 0-8 Grizzlies. Just one of Portland, New Orleans, or Sacramento finishing 4-4 or better (or Phoenix finishing 6-2 or better) beats San Antonio’s 4-4 in that case. At 5-3, they have a chance to be one of the top 2 teams passing an 0-8 Memphis.

Oklahoma City Thunder 105, Los Angeles Lakers 86

We were rooting for: Los Angeles Lakers

An OKC loss would have pushed them quite a bit of the way towards 6th. Now, they’ve got a couple easy games ahead against Memphis and Washington (and potentially Phoenix if the Suns start losing and pack it in), meaning they should keep pace with Houston.

At least the Lakers got blown out.

Toronto Raptors 109, Orlando Magic 99

We were rooting for: Toronto Raptors

This game doesn’t do much for anything, except keeping Orlando in 8th instead of 7th in the East, a race that I’m not sure matters much.

Brooklyn Nets 115, Boston Celtics 149

We were rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

The Nets pulling off the upset would have helped Miami try to catch Boston for 3rd place, but it was simply never going to happen. It takes some kind of defense to concede 149 points while no player scores more than 21.

Stay tuned in to 213Hoops every day of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble for a new Rooting Interests.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 6th Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 4th bubble games? You’re in the right place.

With each team playing just eight “seeding games” in Orlando before the playoffs begin, there’s limited time to both battle for playoff positioning as well as build momentum after a four-month layoff. That means that, while we obviously want the Clippers to be successful, Clippers fans can’t just pay attention to LAC–nearly every game played in the NBA over the next two weeks is important to the playoff picture.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and commenting on these each day. The basketball in Orlando has been great so far, but it’s also a lot of fun watching the standings and seeing teams jostle for position in a small amount of games with enhanced meaning.

Monday’s games have come and gone, with continued intrigue in the bottom half of the Western Conference as Memphis and San Antonio lost, and the middle of the playoff race coming into shape with Denver’s win over Oklahoma City and Utah’s loss. Tuesday will continue with another full slate of teams playing their third games.

The NBA’s August 4th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks, 10:30am, NBATV

Rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

It’s not going to happen, and I’m not convinced that it really matters, but technically a Brooklyn win here increases the Nets’ chances of finishing 7th and keeping the stronger Orlando Magic as Milwaukee’s 1-8 opponent. But Milwaukee will steamroll either team, and will steamroll the Nets in this one.

Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings, 11:30am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Sacramento Kings

Check out local, independent Sacramento Kings coverage at The Kings Herald.

The Kings are tied in the loss column with the Portland Trail Blazers (but behind on wins) and it would be nice to start thinning the herd from 8-13 so there’s less room for chaos in the closing games. But other considerations outweigh Sacramento’s potential to challenge Portland.

From the Mavericks’ perspective, they’re all but locked in to the 7-seed, with a slim mathematical possibility of a severe slide by the Utah Jazz pushing Dallas up to 6th. The right combination of a 2-6 bubble for the Jazz (1-2 so far) and a 5-3 bubble for the Mavericks (0-2 so far), or a similar 1-7/4-4 result, could make it happen. It’s pretty unlikely, though, so I’m not going to pick them here in order to bank on such a slim contingency.

I’m ultimately picking the Kings here because they have two games left against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are one of the four more serious contenders for the 8/9 play-in tournament, along with the front-runner Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and my preferred winner, the Portland Trail Blazers. Sacramento staying engaged enough to split their games against New Orleans is almost certain to matter, while Sacramento’s own chances of making the play-in tournament and the chance of Dallas passing Utah are both almost certain to not end up mattering.

Unfortunately, what matters least of all is my picks, and the Kings’ general apathy in their bubble games so far doesn’t inspire confidence against a Dallas team that has lost their two games by 4 in OT and by 2. At least we have the aforementioned silver linings when Dallas wins.

Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers, 1:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: The Good Guys

I won’t write anything about this game here since I already wrote a rather lengthy game preview. Check it out here!

Orlando Magic vs Indiana Pacers, 3:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Indiana Pacers

Check out local, independent coverage of the Indiana Pacers at The Fieldhouse.

I spent way too many words on Dallas vs Sacramento, so I’ll be quick and economical here: Indiana has been a bubble darling so far (mostly T.J. Warren, who has 87 points in their 2 wins), and Orlando losses put them closer to the 8-seed, forcing Milwaukee to at least defend NBA players in the first round.

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat, 3:30pm, TNT

Rooting for: Miami Heat

This one should be an absolute blast–probably the marquee match-up of the NBA’s August 4th bubble games, although I am also anticipating the nightcap between Houston and Portland.

Boston is, in my eyes, the 3rd-best team in the East, so while Miami has a talented roster and some fun players (like Bam Adebayo), it would serve the Clippers better if the Celtics dropped to the 4th seed and Milwaukee had to go through them and Toronto to get out of the Eastern Conference.

That probably won’t happen, as Boston has a healthy advantage in the standings and easy games remaining against Brooklyn, Orlando, and Washington, but a Heat win here keeps hope alive, while a Celtics win cements their 3rd seed.

Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers, 6:00pm, TNT

Rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

If Boston-Miami is the marquee match-up of the NBA’s August 4th bubble games, then Houston-Portland is a close second. While this doesn’t feature two of the NBA’s elite teams (Portland is well under .500), Damian Lillard and co. have looked strong in the bubble, particularly with the return of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins.

Portland’s lack of depth means they have no choice but to keep one 7′-er on the floor the entire game, but they could play smaller with their 8-man rotation by running a lot of 3-guard lineups with Gary Trent Jr. at small forward and playing Carmelo Anthony (or Mario Hezonja) at power forward. The result is likely more Zach Collins center minutes at the expense of Hassan Whiteside.

Houston, of course, is the mega-small Houston Rockets lineup we’re accustomed to seeing. Their significant win over the Milwaukee Bucks has folks ready to anoint them kings of the bubble, and while I agree that they’re a good team I think their high-variance offense will result in disappointing losses as often as it does signature wins.

That’s what Clippers fans will hope for from this game, as Portland is currently barely in 9th place, with San Antonio, New Orleans, and Sacramento all within a game of them. Memphis’ poor form could help by putting 8th and 9th in play, but the Grizzlies will need to drop a few more games before that materializes.

A loss will also help temper Houston’s run, giving Denver some breathing room in 3rd place. After Denver’s win against Oklahoma City Monday, the Rockets would need to make up 2 games on Denver to pass them, but given the Nuggets’ key absences (Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton are all out), there’s no such thing as too much insurance. Denver needs to do just enough to keep Houston in 4/5 instead of rising to 3rd.

Yesterday’s Games

Toronto Raptors 107, Miami Heat 103

We were rooting for: Miami Heat

A tough blow for the Heat’s hopes of passing Boston for the 3rd seed, but Toronto’s continued impressive play has me increasingly considering the possibility that they’re a legitimate threat to come out of the East over the heavily-favored Bucks.

Denver Nuggets 121, Oklahoma City Thunder 113 (OT)

We were rooting for: Oklahoma City Thunder

Check out local, independent coverage of the Denver Nuggets at DNVR Nuggets.

Chris Paul looked like Lob City Chris Paul down the stretch, as the Thunder led 103-96 with 3:38 to play but managed just 6 points down the stretch of regulation, including a shot clock violation, a late possession where Paul dribbled for 23 seconds without passing and then missed a contested driving shot, and a Paul missed free throw with 2.8 seconds left that would have ultimately won the game. Then, they didn’t score in the first 4 minutes of OT.

The Thunder were without Dennis Schroeder in this game, and it exposed the fact that they are really without a second NBA wing beyond Danilo Gallinari. Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Schroeder are all effective guards, and Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel are a very good center pairing, but the cast of wings leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s hard to credit OKC for Schroeder’s absence when Denver was without their starting point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. The Nuggets are clearly the stronger team, and the likely 3rd seed. In the coming week, OKC will find themselves jostling with Utah for 5/6 as Houston emerges at 4th.

Indiana Pacers 111, Washington Wizards 100

We were rooting for: Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are making their fair share of waves (and, characteristically, not getting enough attention for it) in the early days of the bubble, with TJ Warren starring. The Wizards are not only out of hope to make the play-in tournament, but don’t even have the roster to be a believable upset pick in their future games. That could matter with their match-ups against New Orleans and Oklahoma City as those two are in WC seeding battles.

Memphis Grizzlies 99, New Orleans Pelicans 109

We were rooting for: New Orleans Pelicans

It’s not that the Grizzlies are awful–they have a lot of fun, young talent and it’s easy to watch them and be excited about what some growth, maturity, and better role players could bring in the not-so-far future. But starting the bubble with 3 losses to teams behind them is making it look like they might blow their lead in 8th place and fall to 9th… or lower.

Memphis is 0-3 with 5 games to play. If they go 3-5, they should be safe from the teams chasing them (though that doesn’t mean they won’t lose the play-in tournament). At 2-6, you start thinking that 8th is likely gone, and 9th could be too, pending results from other teams. The Grizzlies close against Utah, Oklahoma City, Toronto, Boston, and Milwaukee. Can they beat the 2 teams directly ahead of them after losing to the 3 directly below? And will the Eastern powers rest players in the later seeding games?

This was a huge win for New Orleans, who struggled to start the bubble (including trailing by as many as 42 points to the Clippers on Saturday) but got a win under their belt and now play their final five games against sub-.500 teams: Sacramento, Washington, San Antonio, Sacramento, and Orlando. That schedule gives them an advantage over the Spurs and Blazers, who have tougher roads ahead.

San Antonio Spurs 130, Philadelphia 76ers 132

We were rooting for: Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers barely survived this one, but in fashion that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in them moving forward. The Spurs’ loss helped Portland and New Orleans, keeping San Antonio with the pack. If Portland can play the Spurs evenly over each team’s last six games, the Blazers will finish ahead. New Orleans needs the Spurs to pick up an extra loss, but can make that happen themselves in the remaining head-to-head game between the two.

Los Angeles Lakers 116, Utah Jazz 108

We were rooting for: Los Angeles Lakers

Jazz losses put a sturdy floor below Houston at 6th place. The more insulated Utah and Denver become at 6 and 3, the safer the Clippers are from a second-round date with the Rockets. It would take an exceptional collapse (coupled with Dallas actually winning some games) for Utah to fall to 7th, however.

Stay tuned in to 213Hoops every day of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble for a new Rooting Interests, letting you know who Clippers fans should root for in each of the day’s games.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 4th Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 3rd bubble games? You’re in the right place.

With each team playing just eight “seeding games” in Orlando before the playoffs begin, there’s limited time to both battle for playoff positioning as well as build momentum after a four-month layoff. That means that, while we obviously want the Clippers to be successful, Clippers fans can’t just pay attention to LAC–nearly every game played in the NBA over the next two weeks is important to the playoff picture.

Bubble play has been fantastic so far, with teams like Houston and Portland catching the attention of the national audience. There’s another full slate of exciting matchups in the NBA’s August 3rd bubble games, so let’s check out who the Clippers want to win in each.

The NBA’s August 3rd Bubble Games

All times pacific time.

Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heat, 10:30am, NBATV

Rooting for: Miami Heat

While Toronto is securely locked in to the 2nd seed in the East, Miami is in 4th with an outside shot of passing the Boston Celtics to claim the 3-seed. That would likely mean Milwaukee facing Boston in the 2nd round and then Toronto in the Eastern Conference Finals, giving them their toughest possible path to the Finals.

Unfortunately, Toronto won’t be an easy out (unless they’re also angling for Miami to move up). The Heat also play the Celtics on Tuesday, so this back-to-back is crucial for their hope of climbing–and two losses would send them reeling back towards Indiana and Philadelphia at 5 and 6.

Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 1:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Oklahoma City Thunder

This is likely the most important of the NBA’s August 3rd bubble games. The good news about these two teams playing is that one of them is guaranteed a win today. The bad news is that the other will pick up a loss.

Currently, Denver sits in 3rd and OKC in 6th–but with a razor-thin margin between the two, and the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz between them. In order for Houston to stay in the 4-5 first-round matchup (and therefore face the Lakers, not the Clippers, in the second round), at least one of the other 3 teams needs to finish ahead of them and at least one needs to finish behind them.

The Utah Jazz, who don’t seem to have a lot of firepower without Bogdan Bodganovic, are the likely choice to fall to 6th. With Denver shorthanded in their early bubble games, that means Oklahoma City is our most likely non-Houston 3rd seed, so we’ll root for them here despite it making the standings even more tightly packed–but if the results start to give clarity to the Western Conference standings in the coming days, we could easily switch course to whatever scenario is most likely to keep Houston in the 4-5.

Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards, 1:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Indiana Pacers

We’re splitting hairs to find an angle here, but with the Wizards all but mathematically out of the playoff picture in the East, I would rather see Indiana’s cohesive squad keep the 5-seed over the dysfunctional Philadelphia 76ers. We’ll see, though–if Philly can get some things figured out, they’re a threat to the East’s top teams in a way the Pacers simply aren’t. But Philly figuring it out isn’t something I’m holding my breath waiting for.

Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans, 3:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: New Orleans Pelicans

I’m not a big believer in the Pelicans as the team that should challenge the Lakers in the first round–my support for Portland is well established–but with the current play-in spots held by Memphis and San Antonio, we’ll be rooting against both of those teams to lose nightly in hopes of someone else entering the picture.

Hopefully that someone else is Portland, but a win here would also keep the Pelicans in the conversation–though at the very edge of it.

One more far-off angle: the Pelicans play the Spurs later in the bubble. Keeping New Orleans’ hope alive makes it more likely that they actually contest that game against San Antonio on August 9th.

San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers, 5:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Philadelphia 76ers

As I said two games up, I’m not crazy about Philly–but as I said one game up, we’re rooting against San Antonio and Memphis until further notice. A Spurs loss would match Portland’s loss to Boston Sunday (though San Antonio will only have 5 games left to play while Portland has 6). If the two finish level in the bubble, Portland will be ahead on win percentage due to their extra regular-season games before the season was suspended.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz, 6:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Los Angeles Lakers

If we have to root for the Lakers to win to help the Clippers out with seeding, at least we get to do it rooting against the Jazz, who I dislike almost as strongly.

To reference back to the discussion of Denver vs OKC above, I feel like Utah is the most likely team in the 3-6 cluster to fall to 6th and serve as a floor to protect Houston from falling out of the 4-5 matchup. A loss here puts them on track, as they’d be 1-2 in the bubble compared to Houston’s 2-0.

Plus, Utah’s next two games are against Memphis and San Antonio (with another game against the Spurs to close bubble play). Keeping Utah hungry for those games is a good thing, as long as Houston wins more of their remaining games than the Jazz do and maintain the 5th seed.

Yesterday’s Games

Brooklyn Nets 118, Washington Wizards 110

We were rooting for: Washington Wizards

With this game, hopes of a play-in tournament for the 8 seed in the East died. Washington, the clear worst team in the bubble, are now 7 losses back of Brooklyn, the clear second-worst team in the bubble. The Wizards simply are not going to find 3 wins anywhere on their schedule, even if you make the (reasonable) assumption that Brooklyn will lose out.

Portland Trail Blazers 124, Boston Celtics 128

We were rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

This game was a blast, and despite their unfortunate loss, Portland’s ability to come back and play a one-possession game against one of the league’s best teams inspires further confidence that they are a step above the West’s other 8-seed contenders.

The bad news: they did lose, putting them at a disadvantage to qualify for the play-in tournament, and it was a costly loss in terms of fatigue: 44 minutes for Damian Lillard and 41 minutes for CJ McConnell. That’s a lot of mileage to walk away without the result.

For our Eastern Conference sub-plot, a Boston loss would have furthered the possibility of Miami claiming the 3rd seed–but the more significant game in that race is Tuesday’s head-to-head between the two teams.

San Antonio Spurs 108, Memphis Grizzlies 106

We were rooting for: Memphis Grizzlies

I wrote yesterday that I struggled making my pick for this game, so we can’t be too upset that it didn’t go how we hoped.

The Spurs’ narrow win, plus the Blazers’ narrow loss, puts San Antonio control in the race for 9th between the two without an upcoming head-to-head between them. Portland now needs to make up a loss on the Spurs to take 9th back.

The silver lining is that the Grizzlies continue to struggle. While they entered the bubble with a substantive lead for 8th place, they’re now 0-2 in Orlando (hopefully picking up a third loss to New Orleans Monday). If they go 2-6 or worse in their eight bubble games, they could potentially fall out of the play-in tournament altogether, helping Portland’s odds.

Orlando Magic 132, Sacramento Kings 116

We were rooting for: Sacramento Kings

Come on, Kings. While we had hoped for an Orlando loss to keep them in 8th place, it’s even more disappointing that a team with the potential to play some fun basketball in Sacramento have seemingly decided not to show up to the bubble.

Don’t let the final score fool you–the Kings trailed by as much as 36 in this one to a not-great Orlando team.

Milwaukee Bucks 116, Houston Rockets 120

We were rooting for: Houston Rockets

The Rockets’ rather impressive win against the league’s best team helps the goal of keeping them out of 6th place in the West and a potential second-round date with the Clippers–but with the toughest challenge on their schedule behind them and no losses on the board, concern is beginning to shift to their potential to climb all the way to 3rd.

Houston showed off exactly why they’re the scariest upset threat to both LA teams tonight, with a high-variance three-point attack that can spark runs and a weird collection of undersized veterans. They trailed 112-104 with 3:14 to play in this game. Look at the final score again.

Dallas Mavericks 115, Phoenix Suns 117

We were rooting for: Phoenix Suns

The Suns are now 2-0 in the bubble (though their competition hasn’t been as stiff as others’), and Dallas looks like they have questions to answer after losing to a 13th-place Suns team despite playing Luka Doncic 38 minutes and Devin Booker fouling out.

Phoenix is still in 13th place despite their 2-0 start, and it’s hard to get excited about their play-in hopes when they need to go at least 7-1, plus the perfect combination of teams ahead of them struggling, to have a realistic shot at ending up in 9th. That’s going to be a long shot, as they’ve played 2 of their 3 easiest games to start, with the 3rd coming against Dallas again to close bubble play.

Stay tuned in to 213Hoops every day of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble for a new Rooting Interests, letting you know who Clippers fans should root for in each of the day’s games.

Rooting Interests: The NBA’s August 3rd Bubble Games
Lucas Hann