Clippers are a Hot Ticket

This has by far been the best first half of a season the Clippers have ever experienced. Besides their 20-11 record, good enough for third in the west, they are leading the NBA in road attendance for Christ’s sake with over 19,000 fans. Not only is that a measure of success, but a measure of relevancy. They have two All Star starters. Let me repeat, starters. With Blake Griffin dunking with the recklessness of Liam Neeson in Taken, and Chris Paul having his way either as a facilitator or a scorer, they are the most intriguing team in the league. The buzz and excitement across the county is even more impressive than their on the court accomplishments, and its something they don’t want to screw up.

Tuesday night they ended their two game losing skid, and prevailed where they faltered in those two games, in the last few minutes. Denver was without its three leading scorers and did not know where to turn at the end of the game. Al Harrington badly missed three 3 pointers in the final minutes. But more importantly the Clippers did not beat themselves.

Chris Paul’s uncharacteristic turnover late literally gave the ball and eventually the win to the Spurs. Gary Neal tied the game with a 3 with 3.8 seconds left, and then put the Spurs up for good with 30 seconds left in overtime. The very next game at Golden State, the last few minutes looked very . . . Clipper like. They were poor on defense, Chris Paul passed up good shots only to shoot much more difficult contested shots late in the clock, Griffin panicked and through the ball at the feet of and away from Chris Paul, and their late game fouling was abysmal. They fouled Steph Curry with around a minute remaining, and inexplicably didn’t foul the next possession, but gave up an uncontested floater to Nate Robinson as the whole shot clock ran off.

The Clippers did not beat themselves in the final minutes at home Tuesday. Blake Griffin got timely rebounds, and made a great pass to Deandre Jordan under the basket for two thirds of a three point play in one of his best games as a Clipper (10 points on 5 of 9 shooting, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks).

Momentum, both good and bad, can snowball easily. It’s not a particularly good metaphor for a sunny southern California winter, but the Clippers didn’t let the problem snowball and get worse. If they want to be a team to reckon with come playoff time they have to keep playing good situational basketball, and not beat themselves down the stretch.

The Clippers two starting All Stars (it still sounds so strange to say) do not need to get revved up and refocused for the second half of the season. Playing up tight and pressing is not what has been working for this team. They need to relax this All Star break. That way when they get back they can keep playing loose, exciting, high energy basketball. That is the style that made this Clipper team the Pacific division leaders, and the highest drawing team in the first half of the NBA season.