For those few of you who are early readers of this new daily little blog I’m doing, I’m going to let you in on a secret: for me, this is not my morning cup of Coffey. I do most-or-all of it before bed, since I’m on the East coast, only sometimes putting the finishing touches on in the morning before you all can wake up and enjoy it in the Pacific time zone.
That’s a long way of saying: the Clippers had the best comeback in NBA history last night, and I am still somewhat inebriated late on a Tuesday night as I write the following notes for you.
1/25 Results
- Nuggets 110, Pistons 105: It was close on both occasions, but Denver got two expected wins in their home-and-home series against the lowly Pistons. It’s unlikely, but not impossible, that they could fall out of the top 6.
- Raptors 125, Hornets 113: Toronto is starting to look like a legitimate playoff team in the East, securing this statement win without Fred Vanvleet to move to 8th place and tie Charlotte, who they beat, in the loss column.
- Clippers 116, Wizards 115: I just really don’t know what to say, but the good news for all of you is that 213Hoops.com is the only outlet in existence that provides coverage of every Clippers game brought to you by Clippers lifers (a mission you can support on Patreon, starting at just $1 a month), and longtime contributor Niels Pineda serendipitously returned from hiatus to sign up for a truly once-in-a-lifetime double-comeback from the Clippers that saw them not only overcome a 35-point deficit, but also steal the victory from the jaws of defeat behind a 7-points-in-9-seconds heroic finish by Luke Kennard. Coverage from Niels is here, and Joseph Raya-Ward joined Dr. Shap and myself to discuss the game on The Lob, The Jam, The Pod here.
- Sixers 117, Pelicans 110: Philly won a battle of extremely shorthanded teams, but I’m not complaining–New Orleans is one of a few teams creeping on the periphery of the Western play-in picture.
- Celtics 128, Kings 75: Yeah, I’m taking the Kings off the Clips Wish List portion of this newsletter until they prove they’re a serious NBA organization. They’re cooked.
- Lakers 106, Nets 96: The Lakers got Anthony Davis back, while Brooklyn was without Kevin Durant (injured) and Kyrie Irving (stupid), so LAL had the star power advantage and the Nets failed to do LAC a favor.
- Spurs 134, Rockets 104: I haven’t looked it up, but I would bet it’s pretty rare that a losing team goes down by a 30-point margin, scores 100+, and no player on the winning team breaks 20 points. Anyway, LAC has three games against Houston in February, and it’ll be rough if they don’t get three wins.
- Warriors 130, Mavericks 92: I didn’t get to watch this game because of concurrent Clipper excitement, but the Steph only had 18 and Dallas lost by nearly 40? To add insult to injury, the Mavericks lost Tim Hardaway Jr. to a fractured foot that could cost him months (timeline TBD). The Clippers’ odds of passing Dallas are still very long, but Tuesday’s combination of results keeps the door ajar for a few days longer.
- Timberwolves 109, Trail Blazers 107: The Wolves (barely) held off the Blazers, so the Clippers are stuck in 9th place despite their amazing comeback victory because Minnesota and the Lakers both won as well. Fortunately, they at least created some breathing room between themselves and 10th-place Minnesota.
Clips Wish List, 1/26
- Clippers over Magic: LAC faces the worst team in the league, hunting for a bonus win after their miraculous comeback on Tuesday night
- Nets over Nuggets: Brooklyn let the Clippers down by losing to the Lakers on Tuesday, and now they’ll have a home game (meaning they’re without unvaccinated guard Kyrie Irving) against the Nuggets.
- Grizzlies over Spurs: Memphis is 8 losses ahead of the Clippers, San Antonio is just 5 behind. I’d sleep better if the Spurs fell off and LAC’s play-in spot was secured.
- Mavericks over Trail Blazers: While it isn’t impossible for LAC to pass Dallas, I’d much rather get some breathing room between the Clippers and Portland, who are a close 10th place.
Other 1/26 Contests
- Bucks @ Cavaliers: The defending champs have mostly coasted this year, and Cleveland is the league’s foremost surprise up-and-cover. In a tightly-packed top 5 out East, this game could be pretty meaningful.
- Hornets @ Pacers: Charlotte would regret missing this chance for a free win against Indiana’s backups and G-Leaguers.
- Kings @ Hawks: Technically an Atlanta win would both help the Clippers and Clipper legend Lou Williams, but I do not respect the Kings enough to put them on the Wish List right now.
- Knicks @ Heat: New York is trying to make sure they get to the playoffs again. Miami is holding on to a razor-thin advantage for the 1-seed. Both teams have a lot to play for.
- Raptors @ Bulls: Same scenario as above, except Toronto is probably better positioned to be competitive than the Knicks are.
- Suns @ Jazz: Utah is still 7 losses ahead of the Clippers, so their fall doesn’t affect LAC, but at 2-8 in their last 10 and with another shorthanded loss likely in this one, they’re quickly sliding down the Western Conference standings.
NBA (and non-NBA) Musings
- The Clippers are on a back-to-back! I linked to our coverage of the Wizards win above–make sure to check out 213Hoops today for coverage of tonight’s game against the Magic.
- Plugging again because it’s super fun and you’ll enjoy it if you either haven’t subscribed yet, or are a subscriber who hasn’t listened yet: Dr. Shap, Robert Flom, and myself recorded the January bonus podcast for paying subscribers to 213Hoops’ Patreon. For over an hour, we went through the roster and stats of the 2019 Clippers and 2022 Clippers, comparing the talent position-by-position on the two starless Clipper rosters. It was an absolute blast, and subscriptions that provide access to the bonus eps start at $1!
Have a good Wednesday everyone! It’s hump day!