The LA Clippers’ free fall continued Monday night when they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers 133-116 at Crypto.com Arena. Both teams were playing the second game in a row, so fatigue was a factor. However, the Clippers had a fully healthy roster that was one of the best in the NBA a few months ago.
The loss dropped the Clippers to fifth place, with the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of them in the standings. They still have nine games left and could fall into the play-in bracket if their slump continues.
Several teams are right behind them like the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The Mavs and Kings are two games behind them and are currently playing better than the Clippers. Head coach Ty Lue must find a way to get his team back to its best before it’s too late.
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LA Clippers rankings
The LA Clippers now have a record of 44-17 after their loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Clippers have now lost two games in a row and six of their last 10 games. They are now out of the top five since the New Orleans Pelicans won their game on Sunday night.
Even though two games is still a lot with a small number of games left in the season, the Clippers may still lose some playoff spot and fall into the play-in tournament bracket. The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings are playing much better than the Clippers over the past two weeks.
The good news for the Clippers is that they own the tiebreaker against the Mavs and Kings. If the three teams finish the season in a three-way tie, the Clippers will move ahead of them in the standings. This still isn’t ideal since fifth place doesn’t have home-field advantage in the playoffs.
LA Clippers Schedule
According to Tankathon, the Los Angeles Clippers have the 10th toughest remaining schedule in the NBA. They have a tougher schedule than the Dallas Mavericks, but they have it easier than the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
Some of the teams the Clippers will face in their remaining schedule include seven teams in the Top 8 of their respective conferences. They will face the Suns, the Kings, the Denver Nuggets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers twice more.
They only have three “easy” games against the Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz, twice.
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