Good news everyone: the Rooting Interests series did so well during bubble play that we’ve decided to keep it around in the post-season. That means that today, we’ll break down each game as the 2020 NBA Playoffs begin.

Now, if we continued doing Rooting Interests exactly how we’ve done them so far, it might get a little boring. After all, we probably won’t change who we’re rooting for in the middle of a round. So, in addition to covering who we’re rooting for, these posts will include predictions for every series as well as key things to watch for and updates on how those keys are developing.

Let’s dive in! As each team plays every other day for the next two weeks (or less, if someone wins), it will take two days for the entire field to progress through each game of the first round. Tomorrow, the 2020 NBA Playoffs begin with Round 1, Game 1, Day 1.

2020 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 1, Day 1

All times Pacific Time.

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets, 10:30am, ESPN

Rooting for: Utah Jazz

Lucas’ Prediction: Nuggets in 5

What to watch for: Denver’s Wing Rotation

I know that this is a series that a lot of folks are excited about, but I actually don’t think there’s much suspense–Denver has been clearly better than Utah all season, and the Jazz offensive attack is significantly weakened by Bojan Bogdanovic’s injury. Plus, Mike Conley left the bubble for the birth of his son, which will cause him to miss at least the first 2 or 3 games of this series. Utah already wasn’t a deep team. Now? Their two most reliable reserves this season, Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson, are both going to be forced into the starting lineup without much behind them.

So, we’ll root for Utah because they’re the less scary potential second-round opponent for LAC, but I feel confident in Denver’s ability to handle business in this series.

It’s actually a bit of a break for Denver, who are struggling with injuries of their own, and that’s what we’ll be keeping our eyes on ahead of a presumptive second-round series between the Clippers and Nuggets. Do Gary Harris and Torrey Craig return to the lineup in this series? If they don’t, do Michael Porter Jr. and Torrey Craig stay in the starting lineup? Does MPJ keep up his almost-certainly-unsustainable offensive production from the seeding games, and how does the potential return of Harris and Craig impact his minutes and role?

Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors, 1:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

Lucas’ Prediction: Raptors in 5

What to watch for: Toronto’s Intensity

There isn’t much question that this series should be a cakewalk for the Raptors. I have the Nets stealing a game, which honestly might be a foolhardy prediction, but this 5-game series should be far less competitive than the 5-game series I’m predicting between Utah and Denver.

Two reasons I’m saying 5 and not 4: first, the Raptors inexplicably dropping a first-round game is tradition, and second, the Nets are just weird enough–massive volume of three-point attempts from a lineup with a number of lesser-known and unknown guys–and competitive enough (they went 5-3 in the bubble despite having no business winning games) that it’s believable they could get a perfect storm kind of night in one of the first four games.

This is one of my lower-priority series for viewing, being one of the first round’s two most unbalanced series, on the far side of the bracket from the Clippers. But when I tune in, I’m watching to see if the Raptors’ focus and defensive intensity send a message that they’re here to repeat and be a legitimate challenger to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. I have a feeling they will be.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics, 3:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Boston Celtics

Lucas’ Prediction: Celtics in 6

What to watch for: Joel Embiid

I’ve said it throughout the bubble: Philly should be much better than they are, and are probably the most disappointing team in the league this year. That said, they’re built for the playoffs with plentiful size and experience. If they’re going to go on a run this post-season, it’s going to be on the shoulders of Joel Embiid, likely playing 40 minutes a night and putting up iconic performances.

Can the Celtics–whose best option to defend Embiid is probably 6’8″ Daniel Theiss–do enough against Embiid and elsewhere to outweigh that match-up? My bet is on yes, but that’s where this series will swing, and if Embiid can lift the Sixers over a quite good Celtics team, he should be considered a serious threat in future rounds as well.

Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers, 6:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: LA Clippers

Lucas’ Prediction: Clippers in 4

What to watch for: Zubac’s minutes

I won’t spend too much energy here breaking down this series (since I already wrote a comprehensive series preview), but I’ll point to one key area that could be meaningful as the playoffs progress: Doc Rivers’ trust in Ivica Zubac. Rivers and the team have clearly said and shown that their trust in Zu is much stronger than it was going into the playoffs last year, where he was eventually removed from the starting lineup and rotation (albeit against the small-ball Golden State Warriors).

The floor-spacing Mavs, with Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber splitting time at center, present a unique challenge for Zubac–but he was dominant against them two weeks ago, with 21 points and 15 rebounds on 10-10 shooting in 25 minutes. Over the course of the season (3 games, and Zu doesn’t always play much, so a serious sample size alert here), Zubac’s defensive rating against Dallas was third only to Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, per Andrew Greif of the LA Times.

If Zubac can not just stay on the floor against Dallas, but thrive and earn increased minutes and get called on to close games, it would be a wonderful indication that LAC can rely on him in later rounds. If he struggles, and Rivers prioritizes returning backup center Montrezl Harrell or small-ball lineups with JaMychal Green, it could be hard for Zubac to fully regain his confidence and Doc’s trust in a post-season run where the stakes will only get higher.

That’ll do it for today’s Rooting Interests–an exciting slate of games as the 2020 NBA Playoffs finally begin. Check back tomorrow as the other four series get underway.

Rooting Interests: The 2020 NBA Playoffs Begin
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 11th 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.

Monday’s games began to provide more clarity in some of the seeding races out West, and more will come as the teams that have stubbornly refused to separate from each other throughout bubble play face their final, crucial games this week.

The NBA’s August 11th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

Brooklyn Nets vs Orlando Magic, 10:00am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Orlando Magic

These teams have clinched 7th and 8th in the East already, making what could have been a climactic late-bubble head-to-head relatively meaningless. I’d like to see Orlando win to help them build a little momentum heading into their first-round series with Milwaukee, but this game really isn’t an important one.

Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs, 11:00am, NBATV

Rooting for: San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are still technically alive in the fight for the 8/9 play-in tournament, and we’d actually like to see those hopes squashed. Portland and Phoenix are the two stronger teams that we’d like to see potentially play the Lakers, and if they can’t battle each other in the play-in, then we’d like them to face the weaker Memphis Grizzlies, who seem likely to go just 1-7 or 2-6 in bubble play.

But a Houston loss is far more important to the Clippers than the play-in race at the bottom of the conference. Currently, the Clippers’ magic # to finish above Houston is 1–that means just a single LAC win or Rockets loss puts the Clippers officially in 2nd or 3rd and closes the door on a nightmare scenario where they fall to 4th and face the Lakers in the second round instead of the Western Conference Finals.

After the Lakers beat the Nuggets Monday night, Houston winning out would drastically increase their chances of moving up into 3rd. If they lose just one game, though, Denver will have a significant upper hand in the race for 3rd–and could clinch a top-3 finish by beating the Clippers Wednesday night.

And if the Rox lose this week, that Denver win becomes more likely. Once the Clippers know that the Rockets cannot pass them, it gives them the flexibility to manage their remaining games (vs Denver on Wednesday and vs OKC on Friday) to manipulate the standings and set up their preferred bracket.

Houston is holding James Harden out of this game, and Eric Gordon continues to be out, so Russell Westbrook will have his hands full. It’s still a winnable contest for the Rockets without Harden and Gordon, but hopefully those absences and this game coming on the front end of a back-to-back are an indicator that Houston will limit their starters’ minutes and concede this one, clinching a top-3 finish for LAC.

Phoenix Suns vs Philadelphia 76ers, 1:30pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Phoenix Suns

Man, if you had told me that the Suns would be the NBA bubble’s must-watch team, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, with a perfect 6-0 Suns team really looking like they might pull off a play-in berth.

At 8-0, the Suns wouldn’t clinch a spot, but they would force Portland to be perfect (finishing 6-2) to stay ahead of them. The 8-0 Suns would also move ahead of Memphis if the Grizzlies finish 1-7. But if the Blazers win their final two games (DAL/BKN) and the Grizzlies win even one more game (BOS/MIL), Phoenix could see their 8-0 record leave them in 10th, out of the play-in picture.

7-1 doesn’t mathematically eliminate them, but they could no longer pass Memphis and would need the Blazers to lose both remaining games, plus the Spurs to pick up another loss, in order to finish 8th to Memphis’ 9th.

We don’t really care about the Sixers here. They’ll have a chance to move up from 6th into the 4/5 matchup, as Indiana and Miami have another head-to-head coming up this week, but I don’t buy them as an impactful playoff competitor with how they’ve trended in recent weeks (and all year).

Boston Celtics vs Memphis Grizzlies, 2:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Boston Celtics

As I just mentioned, Memphis losses greatly help the Suns stay strong in the play-in race. With two losses in their final two games, the Grizzlies could drop out of the play-in tournament entirely, opening up the spots for the Suns and Blazers to challenge each other.

Short of that, though, we’d still prefer for Memphis to lose at least one more game, leaving the door open for Portland to finish 8th. Remember, the 8th-place team only needs to beat 9th once to qualify, while 9th needs to beat 8th twice in a row. Portland reaching the 8th position would not only increase their chances of advancing but also give them an opportunity to do so while playing one fewer game.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks, 3:30pm, TNT

Rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

It’s a full day of the play-in race, as San Antonio, Phoenix, Memphis, and Portland play back-to-back-to-back-to-back in Tuesday’s first four games. We want Portland to win here, for reasons that have mostly already been laid out above. This would give them their 5th win, and leave them needing just one last victory against the lowly Brooklyn Nets (we saw how that went for the Clippers) to not only clinch a play-in berth but in all likelihood finish in the 8th position.

One interesting sub-plot to watch if this game doesn’t go Portland’s way: Utah’s struggles (the Jazz are 2-5 so far in the bubble) has opened the door for Dallas to move ahead of the Jazz and/or Thunder. Dallas’ last game after Portland is against Phoenix on Thursday. Oklahoma City has two games left, against the Heat Wednesday and Clippers Friday. Utah’s finale comes against the Spurs on Thursday.

If Dallas wins out, including Tuesday’s game against Portland, they put themselves in a position to pass Utah if the Jazz lose to San Antonio as well as potentially pass the Thunder if OKC loses their final two games. In that case, Utah would finish 7th to OKC’s 6th on tiebreaker. I’m not ready to root for Dallas just to make this scenario materialize (and frankly I like the Clippers’ match-up with Dallas in a 2-7), as too many things need to happen with 0 margin for error. But it’s something we’ll definitely track if they win here.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings, 6:00pm, TNT

Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards, 6:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: taking the night off

After a bunch of impactful games earlier in the day, this dual nightcaps are both sleepers. On TNT, we’ve got the two earliest eliminated teams in the Western Conference playing head-to-head. This could have been a fun and impactful contest if either team showed up to Orlando intending to compete, but they both seemed eager to go home as quickly as possible.

On NBA League Pass, the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks have already clinched the no. 1 seed in the East and will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back against a Wizards team that is 0-6 in the bubble and didn’t bring their best players to Orlando (not that their roster was very competitive when intact).

There’s been a lot of basketball over the last few weeks. This pairing Tuesday evening makes for a nice excuse to watch something else (or maybe go outside, if you’re into that kind of thing), and get ready for an important Wednesday, where the Clippers could clinch the 2nd seed, and the right combination of outcomes could officially block Denver into 4th as well.

Yesterday’s Games

Oklahoma City Thunder 101, Phoenix Suns 128

We were rooting for: Phoenix Suns

The Suns improved to 6-0, notably against an OKC team that rested their entire starting lineup except for Chris Paul (who only played 24 minutes). We talked enough about the road ahead for Phoenix above, but OKC’s throw here is enough to make you wonder if the Thunder see the standings taking shape ahead of them and want to play Denver in the first round instead of Houston.

Dallas Mavericks 122, Utah Jazz 114

We were rooting for: Utah Jazz

It would have been really nice to see the Jazz win here and put themselves in position to finish ahead of the Thunder in the standings, as we’d like to see a slugfest between OKC and Denver in the first round tire out LAC’s 2nd round opponent while the Rockets get an easier match-up in Utah and rest up before facing the Lakers.

But the Jazz can read the standings too, and they feel the sting from two 5-game eliminations at the hands of James Harden and the Rockets the last two years. They sat Donovan Mitchell today and no starter played more than 16 minutes. With the Thunder, we’re wondering if they’re throwing games to avoid Houston–with the Jazz, we know it.

Toronto Raptors 114, Milwaukee Bucks 108

We were rooting for: nobody

This game didn’t matter for anyone, least of all the two teams playing. Milwaukee and Toronto have both cliched the 1 and 2 seeds in the East, respectively, and are favorites to play each other in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana Pacers 92, Miami Heat 114

We were rooting for: Miami Heat

Not that it’s a huge deal, but in a compact 4-5-6 race in the East between these two teams and Philadelphia, Miami is the strongest, so we’re glad to see them stay in 4th and presumably take on Milwaukee in the second round.

Denver Nuggets 121, Los Angeles Lakers 124

We were rooting for: Denver Nuggets

This game was deeply disappointing, as the Nuggets could have easily come away victorious but chose instead to rest their starters down the stretch, ultimately losing to a Kyle Kuzma game-winner that put the Lakers up by 3. The Nuggets, trailing by 3, attempted a 2-point shot at the buzzer, if you were wondering how interested this tired, shorthanded Denver squad was in another overtime game.

Now, Denver has severely jeopardized their odds of landing in the 3-seed in the West. A Clippers win over Denver on Wednesday–which would clinch the 2-seed for LAC (which means a lot, since they are currently still able to slide all the way to 4th) would set the Nuggets back even further in the 3/4 race with Houston. This is where the Clippers’ bad loss to Brooklyn really hurts–if they had taken care of business, there would be no way for LAC to fall to 4th regardless of the Rockets’ upcoming success.

A lot depends on how Houston fares in their Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, but if the Rockets win both games and the Clippers beat the Nuggets on Denver, Houston will be squarely in the driver’s seat to finish 3rd heading into Friday’s finales.

Denver’s magic number to finish ahead of Houston is 2–that means 2 Nuggets wins or Rockets losses, with Denver having 2 games left to play to Houston’s 3. That means if the Nuggets split their games because the Clippers beat them, then Houston can secure the 3-seed by winning out.

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 11th Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 9th 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.

Saturday broke perfectly for the Clippers, with them winning and the Denver Nuggets beating the Utah Jazz. Now, the Clippers are well set up to secure all of their preferred outcomes this week. Let’s take a look at the desired outcomes for each of Sunday’s 7 games.

The NBA’s August 9th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

Washington Wizards vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Washington Wizards

This one is a bit of a long shot, but if the already-eliminated Wizards can pull of a bit of early-morning weirdness against OKC, it would be pretty nice for the Clippers. Technically, the door is still open for the Houston Rockets to slide to 6th place, and losses from Utah and OKC help close that door.

Plus, if we could choose, we’d like for OKC to finish 6th and Utah 5th. I know folks are (rightfully) more scared of OKC than Utah, so let me explain my reasoning here. Between Denver, OKC, and Utah, the Clippers should be able to win their second-round series regardless of opponent. While I agree that the Utah Jazz without Bojan Bogdanovic are the weakest of the three, that actually likely means that if the Jazz finish 6th, the Clippers will never see them–they’ll lose to Denver in the 3-6.

So, I see the choice between Utah and OKC for 6th as being a choice between seeing Denver, likely well-rested after an easy first-round series against the Jazz, or either Denver or OKC, fatigued and beaten up from a brutal series against the other. Remember how the Lob City Clippers never won a first-round series in less than 7 games, and were always heading into the 2nd round on a rest and health disadvantage?

Giving Denver the tougher match-up in Oklahoma City increases the chances of the Clippers entering R2 with a rest and health advantage. Plus, giving Houston the Jazz in the first round could help the Rockets enter R2 against the Lakers without any rest and health disadvantage of their own (especially if the Blazers take a game or two from LAL).

Memphis Grizzlies vs Toronto Raptors, 11:00am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Toronto Raptors

Memphis’ first bubble win pushed every play-in contender except for Portland–New Orleans, San Antonio, Sacramento, and Phoenix–to the brink of elimination. The Kings lost on Friday, ending their hopes of passing the Grizzlies. The Suns, Pelicans, and Spurs are all still barely alive.

A Grizzlies win here would pretty much end any competition down the standings and make it a straight race between Portland and Memphis to determine who will be 8th and who will be 9th heading in to the play-in tournament. Remember, if 8th wins the first play-in game or lose and then win the second, they move on to the playoffs, while 9th needs to beat 8th two nights in a row to advance.

While it would be nice for Memphis to close the door on some of the lower teams, we’ll trust that those matters will take care of themselves eventually and root for a Grizzlies loss to help Portland finish 8th and not 9th. If the Blazers have to play both nights of the play-in tournament, then Game 1 vs the Lakers would be their 7th game in 10 nights. If Memphis finishes 1-7, the Blazers need to find 2 wins in their last 3 games (PHI/DAL/BKN) to finish 8th. If the Grizzlies win another game, Portland needs to be perfect. And if Memphis wins 2 or all 3 of their 3 remaining games (TOR/BOS/MIL), Portland cannot pass them.

San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans, 12:00pm, ABC

Rooting for: San Antonio Spurs

This is a huge match-up for these two, with the loser all but eliminated (either team can no longer pass Memphis with a loss, and move to relying on a bunch of Portland losses to steal 9th). We’re going for a Spurs win here, but it’s nothing personal: San Antonio (HOU/UTA) just has a tougher schedule the rest of the way than New Orleans (SAC/ORL). This is the easiest game left for the Spurs, and they’ll likely be eliminated later in the week anyway. If the Pelicans win here, in their toughest remaining game, they could actually close 3-0 and sneak into the play-in tournament.

There’s only two play-in pairings I care for: Portland against Memphis, giving the Blazers their easiest possible path to the playoffs, or Portland against Phoenix, giving the red-hot 8-0 Suns a chance to improve to 10-0 and prove they’re the strongest team to challenge the Lakers. I’m fine with either–but if it’s not gonna be Phoenix, I’d just as soon root for Portland to have an easier time so they can rest up for the Lakers.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics, 2:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Boston Celtics

The Celtics can’t really move in the standings at this point, but the Magic still can–and we’d rather they stay in 8th and at least make the Milwaukee Bucks sweep an NBA team with a real starting lineup and not the shell of the Brooklyn Nets, who currently sit in 7th.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Portland Trail Blazers, 3:30pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

We’ve been rooting for Philly lately, with hopes of them rising into 5th and challenging the Bucks in the second round. But with Ben Simmons needing a minor knee operation and TJ Warren’s Pacers continuing to surge, I’m ready to give up on the Sixers.

Especially when Portland is the team on the other bench. As discussed above, Portland needs to win at least 2 of their last 3 games if they want to enter the play-in tournament from the 8th spot. Getting the first one here would be nice.

Houston Rockets vs Sacramento Kings, 5:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Sacramento Kings

I don’t have a lot of faith in the Kings to pull this off, but maybe relieved of the pressure of a playoff push they can start to have a little bit of fun on the basketball court. If that happens, and the Rockets overlook them and have an off shooting night, maybe there could be an upset.

It would certainly help the Clippers, as LAC beating Brooklyn Sunday, combined with Houston losing one of their 3 games on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, puts us awfully close to confirming LAC’s 2-seed while keeping Houston in the 4-5 match-up.

Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers, 6:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Rodney and the McShooters

This would be the Clippers’ 4th win in the bubble, and guarantee them a top-3 finish. Their magic # for clinching the 2 seed would be 1 LAC win or Denver Loss, spread across Denver’s match-up with the Lakers Monday, the LAC-DEN head-to-head Wednesday, the Clippers’ finale against Oklahoma City on Friday, and Denver’s finale against Toronto (also on Friday). I like those odds.

The protection from this win would allow the Clippers to throw Wednesday’s game against Denver if necessary to keep the Rockets in 4th (click the link for a google spreadsheet of different scenarios) and still control their own destiny: a win Friday against OKC guarantees them 2nd place regardless of how Denver finishes.

Yesterday’s Games

Los Angeles Clippers 122, Portland Trail Blazers 117

We were rooting for: LA Clippers

A lot of Clippers fans wanted the Clippers to lose this game to help Portland secure 8th place and a first-round match-up with the Lakers–and it seems like the Clippers were in agreement, as Kawhi Leonard was a late scratch and Doc Rivers benched his starters down the stretch of a tight game, closing with Terance Mann, Landry Shamet, Rodney McGruder, Patrick Patterson, and JaMychal Green.

It didn’t work, though, as the Clippers’ bench–helped by two late missed free throws by Damian Lillard–pulled ahead and ultimately won the game. Check out 213Hoops’ full game recap.

Frankly, I’m glad. Throwing the game against Portland would have been a mistake, both because the Blazers are likely to reach the 1-8 match-up without LAC’s help and because bigger priorities–like clinching 2nd and keeping Houston in 4th–could have been compromised by the loss. Remember that chart up there detailing when the Clippers should and shouldn’t throw Wednesday’s game against Denver to ensure that LAC-DEN-HOU finish 2-3-4? Without this win against Portland, the Clippers’ flexibility to manipulate those outcomes would be drastically reduced.

Utah Jazz 132, Denver Nuggets 134 (2OT)

We were rooting for: Denver Nuggets

This might have been the best game of the bubble, and fortunately it concluded in the way we were hoping: with the Nuggets getting a little further ahead of the Rockets to reduce Houston’s odds of climbing to 3rd, and the Jazz falling a little further behind the Rockets to reduce Houston’s odds of sliding to 6th.

Utah’s last 2 games are against Dallas and San Antonio. In order for them to pass Houston, the Jazz either need to finish 2-0 to the Rockets’ 1-3, or 1-1 to the Rockets’ 0-4. To pass Oklahoma City, they need to lose 2 fewer games than the Thunder (OKC has 4 left, WAS/PHX/MIA/LAC).

Los Angeles Lakers 111, Indiana Pacers 116

We were rooting for: Indiana Pacers

I don’t know what happened to TJ Warren during quarantine, but he’s a different player than he was before. Warren had another massive night, with 39 points on 15-22 shooting, including a dagger three to push the Pacers ahead by six with just under 10 seconds to play.

It’s unclear how much the Lakers’ struggles actually matter–they came into bubble play with the 1-seed guaranteed and have played a bunch of teams with much more urgency. But you can’t deny that they’re struggling, and that’s definitely better than if they were coasting at 6-0 and looking dominant.

Phoenix Suns 119, Miami Heat 112

We were rooting for: Phoenix Suns

The Suns stay perfect in the bubble, and in order to have any hopes of making the play-in tournament, they’ll need to stay perfect–winning their last 3 games against Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, and Dallas.

Even that might not be enough. Phoenix came into Orlando at such a disadvantage that they’ll also need for either Memphis to stay at 1-7 or Portland to lose again and finish 5-3 or worse. The Suns would be technically still alive at 7-1, but would be unable to pass Memphis and have to hope to finish 9th with help from Portland, San Antonio, and New Orleans.

Milwaukee Bucks 132, Dallas Mavericks 136

We were rooting for: Milwaukee Bucks

This game meant nothing in the standings for either team, but both stuck with their starters down the stretch. It served as a nice reminder that the Mavs can play a 120-point game with anyone if you don’t contain Luka. It was a signature win for the Mavs behind 36 points, 19 assists, and and 14 rebounds from Luka Doncic. This was the blueprint for Dallas to steal playoff games against an elite team like the Clippers–which could make it good study material for LAC heading in to the first round.

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 9th 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 5th 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 Clippers’ loss to the Phoenix Suns at the buzzer yesterday certainly put a damper on things, but there’s just too much good basketball and standings intrigue around the league to stay discouraged for long. Let’s dive in.

The NBA’s August 5th Bubble Games

All times Pacific Time.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz, 11:30am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Memphis Grizzlies

When two teams that you want to lose go up against each other, it can be a blessing and a curse. One is guaranteed to pick up that coveted loss, but the other is guaranteed to win.

We’ve been rooting against the Memphis Grizzlies (sorry, Grizz) because their fall from 8th place in the West opens up more possibilities for stronger teams, like Portland, to make their way into the play-in tournament. With the really unfortunate news that Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, the Grizzlies’ fall now seems almost inevitable.

Utah, meanwhile, sits in 5th place in the West, just a half-game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder and a half-game behind the Houston Rockets. The Clippers want to make sure Houston stays in the 4-5 matchup–that means Denver winning to hold on to 3rd, and OKC and/or Utah losing to fall securely to 6th.

Because of Utah’s unlikeliness to be able to keep up with the surging Houston Rockets over the full bubble slate, it would be easy to pull for them here in order to help other teams get into the 8-seed battle. But ultimately, the stakes in the race for 8th are low for the Clippers–the Lakers are likely sweeping all of the contending teams. Avoiding Houston in the 2nd round is paramount, so we’ll keep our priorities in order.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards, 1:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Philadelphia 76ers

I’m going to reverse course a bit and root for the Sixers to win 5th place over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference. Philly is probably one of the least fun teams in the league, but a focused Sixers team has the talent and experience to give Milwaukee a tough series in the 2nd round, no matter how joyless they make basketball.

Fortunately, 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.

Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs, 1:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Denver Nuggets

With two teams involved in relevant Western Conference seeding races, this is likely the most important of the NBA’s August 5th bubble games for us to keep an eye on.

The Clippers want to be cautious of Denver, who is right on their heels in the 2-3 race in the West, but also need the Nuggets to keep winning and avoid being passed by the 4th-place Houston Rockets. If anything, Denver-LAC-Houston is a preferable 2-3-4 finish to LAC-Houston-Denver, as homecourt advantage in the second round is meaningless and the Clippers should be able to win their first-round series regardless of opponent.

Needing a Denver win is nice, because we’d also like to see a Spurs loss here. Despite looking sturdy in the bubble (2-1, with their loss to Philly on a game-winner in the closing seconds), I am not yet a believer in San Antonio, and they simply are providing competition for Portland and New Orleans, two teams that I rate more highly. Hell, maybe Devin Booker’s Suns belong in the conversation too (though they would need a miraculous run to reach the play-in tournament).

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Lakers, 3:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Los Angeles Lakers

This is a rough one for Clippers fans, who will struggle with wanting their most bitter rival to come away with a win over the unofficial second-favorite team of Clipper Nation: the OKC Thunder with Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari.

But OKC’s shared duty with the Utah Jazz to be the backstop keeping Houston from falling to 6th is more important than our personal preferences, so I’d be happier to see a Lakers victory here.

But, as always, any Lakers loss helps the Clippers a bit, as we’d love to see them suffer a little losing streak and head into the playoffs with some worries about their weak guard rotation. I also feel like Houston will outpace OKC and Utah without needing much help. So, not the end of the world if OKC wins here.

Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic, 5:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Toronto Raptors

I’m more and more feeling like Toronto and Milwaukee might be a tighter contest in the Eastern Conference Finals than we’ve admitted all year–and while that obviously means I have tremendous respect for the Raptors, I still would feel better about playing them than the Bucks (though the narrative power of Kawhi against the Raptors would be overwhelming).

So, in the most inconsequential match-up of the NBA’s August 5th bubble games, the Raptors will get to potentially set Orlando back in their tussle for 7/8 with Brooklyn, making it more likely that the Bucks face an actual NBA team in the first round… though after Brooklyn upset Milwaukee today, who knows what’s best.

Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics, 6:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

Can lightning strike twice? Brooklyn beat Milwaukee on Tuesday, though the Bucks treated it like a pre-season game, playing all 13 active players double-digit minutes, with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing just 16.

In order for Boston to be passed by Miami, they need to do 2 games worse than the Heat in the bubble. Thanks to Miami’s win over Boston yesterday, the Heat have made up one of those 2 games. Miami’s last 5 games: Milwaukee, Phoenix, Indiana, Oklahoma City, Indiana. Boston’s: Brooklyn, Toronto, Orlando, Memphis, Washington. That’s a pretty significant schedule advantage for the Celtics, so they’ll need to lose at least one game they have no business losing for this to get interesting.

In the race for 7th in the East, Brooklyn now has a half-game advantage over the Magic, with both teams having 5 games remaining. They’ll both be underdogs in their remaining contests, making their head-to-head match-up in game 7 crucial in that race.

Yesterday’s Games

Brooklyn Nets 119, Milwaukee Bucks 116

We were rooting for: Brooklyn Nets

As I mentioned above, this wasn’t really the upset one might believe based on the scoreline, and the Bucks treated it like a pre-season game and played second- and third-string player major minutes, using what is essentially a free game to get different players reps. Milwaukee is locked in to the 1-seed in the East and faces no consequences for any losses in seeding games.

But for the Nets, the 7/8 race against Orlando is a coin flip. I don’t really think this one matters–both teams will get swept by Milwaukee and Toronto regardless of who faces whom, but that doesn’t mean that Brooklyn can’t take some pride in their play and try to finish 7th instead of 8th.

Dallas Mavericks 114, Sacramento Kings 110 (OT)

We were rooting for: Sacramento Kings

Despite Sacramento’s repeated letdowns in the bubble, they still have an outside shot at life–with Memphis likely to slide in the standings and the Kings having two head-to-head games against New Orleans remaining, they’ll need to pass the Suns and either Portland or San Antonio to reach the play-in tournament. It helps that the Kings still have a game left against Brooklyn, plus a more difficult contest vs the Houston Rockets and a finale against the Los Angeles Lakers, who could rest players. The margin for error, though, is virtually nonexistent–if they even go 4-1 in these last 5 games, they need Memphis to go 0-8.

For Dallas, it’s a sign of relief to get a win at last in the bubble, and keeps an outside shot that the Mavs could climb in the standings: it’s possible if they go 4-1 in their last 5 games (Clippers, Bucks, Jazz, Blazers, and Suns) and Oklahoma City and/or Utah struggle, or even if Dallas goes 3-2 and either of those teams truly plummets.

Phoenix Suns 117, Los Angeles Clippers 115

We were rooting for: our team

I won’t talk about the game itself here, as I wrote the recap and you can read my thoughts there.

What I will say is that the Clippers are still in the driver’s seat for the 2nd seed, but not firmly in control–their 7th seeding game vs Denver could decide the race if LAC doesn’t get separation before then.

For Phoenix, the road to a play-in game doesn’t look very passable, but as long as they’re undefeated, I won’t count them out. They have a tough last 5 games with no head-to-head opportunities against their competitors (Indiana, Miami, OKC, Philly, Dallas), and can only really afford one loss before they start needing serious help from the teams ahead of them. At 7-1, they’d be ahead of Portland, New Orleans, and Sacramento if those teams go 4-4, and San Antonio if they go 5-3. But if Phoenix loses 2 games, or any of those teams–eyes on Portland–do better than 4-4, things get dicey.

Orlando Magic 109, Indiana Pacers 120

We were rooting for: Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are pulling away in the race for NBA bubble darlings; they’re now 3-0 while missing key players, and TJ Warren has, by my count, 118 points in those three games. I don’t know how much noise they’re capable of making in the playoffs, but the ride so far has been fun.

Orlando’s loss impacts the 7/8 race as discussed above.

Boston Celtics 106, Miami Heat 112

We were rooting for: Miami Heat

The race for 3rd between these two was discussed in-depth above, so I’ll just pause for a moment here to say that this was a phenomenal bubble game, and Miami winning this one without Jimmy Butler is impressive.

Houston Rockets 102, Portland Trail Blazers 110

We were rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland came through last night in a game that was really a joy to watch, and now are 2-1 in the bubble. If they finish 6-2, they’ll be in the play-in game, while 5-3 likely qualifies them and 4-4 leaves things up to fate. With games left against Denver, the Clippers, Philly, Dallas, and Brooklyn, a 5-3 finish seems attainable if they continue playing well.

Houston’s loss helps slow them down and keep Denver a little safe in 3rd. The Jazz and Thunder haven’t quite fallen enough to insulate Houston from a slide to 6th if they struggle, but I think Houston’s most likely landing spot is now 4th.

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 5th 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

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 2nd 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, nearly every game played in the NBA over the next two weeks is important to the playoff picture.

The bubble opened with a series of stellar games on Thursday and Friday, and while Saturday saw some more one-sided affairs, it’s clear that a lot of teams are already playing high-quality basketball. I’m looking forward to another full day of NBA games on Sunday.

The NBA’s August 2nd Bubble Games

All times pacific time.

Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets, 11:00am, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Washington Wizards

The Wizards, in 9th place, are a clean 6 games back from the Nets in 8th. That means they need to win this head-to-head game and make up another game elsewhere to force a rematch between these two clubs in the play-in tournament. If the Wizards finish more than 4 games behind Brooklyn, the Nets will not have to defend their 8th seed in a play-in.

Reader “G Rap Old School Like Your Dad” noted a couple of days ago that he preferred Brooklyn do well, potentially finishing ahead of the Orlando Magic for the 7th seed. This would leave the Magic in 8th, who would be a tougher first-round draw for the Milwaukee Bucks. But despite having more legitimate NBA talent on their roster, I don’t see Orlando actually challenging Milwaukee. At the same time, I never considered Brooklyn staying in front of Orlando realistic.

If the Nets win this game, the 8-9 race in the East will be all but over and we can shift our focus to G Rap’s line of thinking–but for now, I’m still pulling for a play-in in the East.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Boston Celtics, 12:30pm, ABC

Rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

The Celtics will be favored here, but a Blazers upset would be doubly good: not only pushing Portland closer to securing a spot in the West play-in tournament, but also pushing Boston further back towards 4th-place Miami. Remember, Miami and Boston play head-to-head on Tuesday, and if Miami moves into 3rd then the Bucks could end up having to face the Celtics and Raptors back-to-back in order to make the Finals.

Something to watch for: Portland has rather shallow depth, and played just 8 men during their opener against Memphis. They played nearly the whole game with two bigs on the floor, and a suspect small forward rotation of Carmelo Anthony, Mario Hezonja, and Gary Trent Jr. The Celtics’ small lineups wing scorers–particularly Jayson Tatum–will pose an interesting stylistic challenge, and Portland’s ability to counter them will be telling.

San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies, 1pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Memphis Grizzlies

I don’t want to say that this game isn’t important–it might be the most important of the NBA’s August 2nd bubble games. I just don’t really know who we want to win. I originally had Memphis, then switched to the Spurs, and finally came back to Memphis after writing this breakdown.

On the one hand, a Memphis loss brings them closer to Portland. It would be especially beneficial if the Blazers could move into 8th in advance of the play-in tournament, giving them a higher chance of earning the playoff spot.

But a Spurs win brings them right in stride with the Blazers, and if the Blazers also lose to Boston, the Spurs pull into 9th. I just don’t buy the Spurs giving the Lakers any sort of trouble, so keeping them out of the play-in spots would be advantageous.

That said, this game is ultimately close enough for me that I’m willing to say that while it will be impactful, it’s hard to know which result is preferable. Either of these teams could end up facing the Lakers, and while neither is an inspiring 8-seed, letting whoever gets hot in the bubble take a crack at the top team in the West isn’t the worst thing. So, we need more time before deciding who to throw our support behind.

Sacramento Kings vs Orlando Magic, 3:00pm, NBATV

Rooting for: Sacramento Kings

I don’t love the idea of the race for the West play-in getting even tighter with a Kings win, which could lead to a virtual three-way tie for 9th pending the outcomes of Portland and San Antonio’s games today.

But in the spirit of “the team most likely to challenge the Lakers is the team that gets hot in the bubble,” we might as well root for Sacramento to grow a bit and start playing some good basketball. Maybe they’ll surprise us. If they don’t, then they won’t end up in the play-in tournament anyway.

Plus, an Orlando loss keeps them in the conversation to potentially finish 8th, giving Milwaukee the marginally tougher first-round opponent as discussed above.

Check out our friends at The Kings Herald for their coverage of the game.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Houston Rockets, 5:30pm, ABC

Rooting for: Houston Rockets

Keeping Houston in the 4-5 first round match-up is probably the most important thing for the Clippers (outside of holding on to 2nd for themselves). Beyond that, it matters less which of Oklahoma City and Utah finish in 4th and 6th (with a growing chance that Denver could slide and Oklahoma City could move up to third).

But with the three teams virtually tied (Utah is just a half game ahead of the other two after OKC destroyed them on Saturday), we need Houston to keep pace and not slide into 6th. That will be tough against a stellar Milwaukee team.

Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns, 6:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Phoenix Suns

The nightcap of the NBA’s August 2nd bubble games is perhaps the least significant. Dallas, 4 losses behind 6th place and 6 losses ahead of 8th, is virtually immobile in their 7th seed. Phoenix is a clear 13th in the West despite winning their opening bubble game, and would need more than they have in the tank to climb into the play-in tournament.

So, while I wouldn’t hate to see a team like Phoenix take some losses and drop out of contention to begin to clarify the playoff race, I’ll lean towards Dallas losses shaking their confidence and form heading into a first-round series against the Clippers. I won’t be rooting for Dallas unless there’s a clear advantage to the Clippers if they win (like if their August 10th game against Utah would clearly push Utah to 6th and Houston to 5th).

That’s it for the NBA’s August 2nd bubble games–let’s briefly see how Saturday went.

Yesterday’s Games

Miami Heat 125, Denver Nuggets 105

We were rooting for: Miami Heat

It was a day of blowouts for ESPN’s quadruple-header, and the Heat started it with an emphatic morning stomping of the shorthanded Nuggets. Denver won’t be this bad when they’re at full strength–but there’s a short timer to get things going in the bubble, and I’d believe it if you told me they were going to lose their first-round series.

The 3-seed seems within reach for teams like Houston and particularly Oklahoma City, who have a relatively light schedule. The Thunder and Nuggets play Monday in what could be a huge game.

Oklahoma City Thunder 110, Utah Jazz 94

We were rooting for: Utah Jazz

This was a resounding beatdown by the Thunder, and after originally wanting Utah to win to preserve the 4-5-6 order between Utah, Houston, and OKC, I left this game thinking that Utah is the team more likely to fall to 6th and keep the Rockets away from the Clippers’ side of the bracket. Now I’m wondering if OKC can rise to 3.

New Orleans Pelicans 103, LA Clippers 126

We were rooting for: the record-breakers

Of all of Saturday’s blowouts, the Clippers’ defeathering of the Pelicans was the most ruthless, with LA leading by as many as 42 before New Orleans cut into the lead in garbage time.

Check out Niels Pineda’s full recap of the game.

Philadelphia 76ers 121, Indiana Pacers 127

We were rooting for: Indiana Pacers

As I wrote yesterday, Philly is probably the preferable 5th seed because their talent gives them a higher ceiling to provide a challenge to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round.

But they have to actually be good enough at basketball to put that talent to use, and they clearly aren’t right now. After struggling all season, I don’t have a lot of faith in them to get there.

Shoutout to T.J. Warren, who the Pacers acquired from the Phoenix Suns for cash, for having 53 (fifty-three!) points in this one.

Los Angeles Lakers 92, Toronto Raptors 107

We were rooting for: Toronto Raptors

There’s no shame in losing to the Raptors, who are legitimately the second-best team in the East and a potential Finals opponent for the LA. But with both of these teams locked into their seeds, the only notable impact of a game like this is the Lakers potentially losing a bit of confidence.

Plus, we never want to root for the Lakers unless we absolutely have to.

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 2nd Bubble Games
Lucas Hann

Are you a Clippers fan who isn’t sure who to root for in the NBA’s August 1st 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, nearly every game played in the NBA over the next two weeks is important to the playoff picture.

They’ve also lived up to that billing–after Thursday’s opening night doubleheader featured two one-possession games decided in the closing seconds, Friday’s lineup featured a number of high-quality games, including two overtime contests. If the 22 teams involved in bubble play keep up this level of intensity, it will be a really wonderful two weeks of basketball.

The NBA’s August 1st Bubble Games

All times Pacific time.

Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets, 10am, ESPN

Rooting for: Miami Heat

The Denver Nuggets currently sit at third in the West, just a game behind the Clippers (and with one more game left to play). The Clippers are one ahead in the loss column–but the teams have a head-to-head game in their 7th seeding contest, and if they finish tied, the Nuggets will move ahead due to their extra win from an additional regular-season game played before the season was suspended.

The Clippers falling to third wouldn’t be a disaster in the second round, as Denver vs LA on a neutral court is the same regardless of seeding. But with Utah, Houston, and Oklahoma City jostling for the 4-6 spots, third place will get a more challenging first-round opponent than 7th-place Dallas. And if the Nuggets pass the Clippers and one of those other teams surges, LA could find themselves in fourth place–a nightmare scenario that would see them facing the Lakers in the second round, not the Western Conference finals.

So, our love for Nikola Jokic and the fantastic local coverage team at DNVR aside, Nuggets losses are good for the Clippers (at least until we get to the point where the Clippers are safe at 2nd and the Nuggets are potentially sliding to 4th).

Bonus: Boston’s loss Friday, plus a Miami win here, puts the 3rd seed in the East squarely in play for Tuesday’s matchup between the two teams. Boston in the 2nd round followed by Toronto in the ECF is likely the Milwaukee Bucks’ toughest path to the Finals, which if nothing else could help the Clippers by tiring the Bucks out.

Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder: 12:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Utah Jazz

We’re big Thunder fans here at 213Hoops–they’re a young, exciting, overachieving team who start three notable former Clippers in Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari. And we really hate the Jazz.

But these two teams are battling with each other and the Houston Rockets for 4th, 5th, and 6th in the West. The Clippers want the Rockets to finish in the 4-5, setting them up for a second-round series with the Lakers. Since OKC is currently in 6th and Utah is currently in 4th, it’s a no-brainer to root for the result that further entrenches the Utah-Houston-OKC order, instead of the one that brings all three within half a game of each other.

The Clippers, however, need to take care of their own business, as Utah is just two losses behind them currently. Speaking of…

New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Clippers, 3:00pm, ESPN

Rooting for: who do you think?

None of the NBA’s August 1st bubble games are more important for the Clippers than their own–wins allow them to hold on to 2nd and watch what happens around the league from afar. A loss here and a Denver win would mean the Clippers no longer control their own destiny for the 2-seed.

For more coverage, check out Niels Pineda’s game preview and the Clippers’ updated injury report.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers, 4:00pm, NBA League Pass

Rooting for: Indiana Pacers

First of all, this should be a really fun game between two teams that have a drastic talent disparity despite being tied in the standings. It is an embarrassment of riches to have the NBA’s August 1st bubble games be so stacked that they’re showing four games on national TV tomorrow, and this isn’t one of them.

These teams are competing for the 5th and 6th seed in the East. They’re unlikely (but not impossible) to climb to 4th, and neither will fall to 7th. Right now, I honestly have no idea who we’d prefer to earn the 5th seed and potentially take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. My gut and head say Philly, simply because of their superior talent and the fact that they were just one bounce from beating the Raptors last year.

But they’re so dysfunctional that I just need to see more from them in the bubble before I buy into them as a legitimate challenger to Milwaukee. So, while I may change course as the playoffs approach and hope to see the Sixers battling the Bucks in the second round, today I’ll gladly support the cohesive, less-heralded, underdog Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors, 5:30pm, ESPN

Rooting for: Toronto Raptors

This is the marquee matchup of the NBA’s August 1st bubble games, but might not have the same intensity of the others. Both of these teams–the Lakers at first in the West, the Raptors at second in the East–have virtually no chance of changing seeds in the next two weeks. So, with that established, it would be nice if the Lakers could lose a few seeding games and head in to the playoffs with a bit of struggle and uncertainty instead of major momentum.

July 31st Results

For yesterday’s full Rooting Interests, click here.

Orlando Magic 128, Brooklyn Nets 118

We were rooting for: Orlando Magic

The more Brooklyn loses, the more likely we are to get a play-in game for the 8th spot in the East between them and Washington. That doesn’t matter to the Clippers, but it makes for more fun viewing. But make no mistake–all three of these lower-level East teams are awful. The league would be better if they let West lottery teams take over the last 2 spots in the East.

Portland Trail Blazers 140, Memphis Grizzlies 135 (OT)

We were rooting for: Portland Trail Blazers

Wow–this was a really fantastic game to watch. Portland’s win helps the Blazers (my current preferred 8th seed) stay in 9th to be Memphis’ play-in challenger, and the Grizzlies loss keeps them closer to the pack.

One note: Portland played a tight 8-man rotation, with 2 7-footers (out of Zach Collins, Hassan Whiteside, and Jusuf Nurkic) on the floor for most of the game, and Carmelo Anthony, Mario Hezonja, and Gary Trent, Jr. splitting the small forward minutes. All three of those guys played well out of position at the 3. We’ll see if that’s sustainable.

Phoenix Suns 125, Washington Wizards 112

We were rooting for: Washington Wizards

The Wizards were long shots to win this game (as with any game), but we need them to steal a few wins in order to get close enough to trigger the play-in game in the East. They play Brooklyn next, which is a must-win. Phoenix’s win here keeps them technically alive in the playoff hunt, but they need to win a lot of games with a difficult schedule ahead.

Milwaukee Bucks 119, Boston Celtics 112

We were rooting for: Milwaukee Bucks

Man, this was another really high-quality game between two great teams. We like Boston’s loss for the same reason we want Miami to win–the Celtics falling to 4th gives the Bucks their most difficult possible second-round opponent.

San Antonio Spurs 129, Sacramento Kings 120

We were rooting for: Sacramento Kings

The Kings are a more intriguing team, but the Spurs’ win puts them in 10th place, just half a game back of the Trail Blazers (the Kings are 12th, but just one full game back). I had a nightmarish vision of the Spurs out-executing teams in the bubble, earning the 8-seed, and getting run off the floor by 20 points a game in a first-round sweep to the Lakers. Please, basketball gods, give us someone with more talent and firepower.

Houston Rockets 153, Dallas Mavericks 149 (OT)

We were rooting for: Houston Rockets

This was a really exciting game to cap off a brilliant day of basketball. The Rockets’ win leaves them in 5th, a game behind the Jazz and a half-game ahead of the Thunder. While we want to avoid the Rockets getting too hot and surging into the top 3, we won’t worry about that until they get enough separation from OKC to feel comfortable in the top 5.

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 1st Bubble Games
Lucas Hann