INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- L.A. is home to two basketball teams on opposite paths — the one near downtown chasing an NBA championship, the other further south off the 110 freeway battling for a playoff survival.
For the Clippers, "fighting" might be an understatement. Still seen as the city's forgotten little brother — especially since the Luka Dončić trade — they are scrapping for a favorable playoff seed.
After a disastrous post-All-Star break stretch (1-6), they are now on a three-game winning streak, capped by a dramatic 111-110 overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings. With both teams jockeying for playoff positioning, the win moves the Clippers into the No. 8 seed as they continue chasing the No. 6 spot (a long shot) or, more realistically, a play-in position with home-court advantage.
As has been the case all season, they remain a team hoping for the best — but the best never comes. A fully healthy roster has yet to materialize, and their envisioned success remains just out of reach.
It’s been the Clippers’ modus operandi, but it appears they may have turned a corner — starting with a gritty win against a good team that, at times, has looked better.
Kawhi Leonard, playing 40 minutes and hitting a buzzer-beater for the win, exemplifies grit and resilience. James Harden, tying the game with a left-handed floater to send it into overtime, demonstrated poise under pressure. Ivica Zubac’s relentless effort on the boards, securing his 42nd double-double of the year, is a testament to this team’s fight.
These are the types of wins you want to see from a team that has carried high expectations for years, only to fall flat in the playoffs with back-to-back first-round exits.
A win like this, especially this late in the season, is where teams become battle-tested — particularly when battling with a team you could see again in the postseason, head coach Tyronn Lue said before the game.
But with all the injuries, the biggest variable remains: What can this team be when fully healthy? It’s not just a matter of when that will happen, but whether it happens soon enough to make a difference.
When the Clippers have their four best players — Leonard, Harden, Zubac and Powell — on the court together, they are 10-5. The problem is, that lineup is rare.
Powell, the team’s leading scorer (23.8 points per game), has battled injuries. He missed several games with a left knee issue, and He returned against the Lakers but played just nine minutes before suffering a hamstring injury. He remains out, awaiting re-evaluation.
Ben Simmons, whom the team hoped could be an X-factor, has missed five straight games due to a left knee injury and will not travel on the upcoming three-game road trip.
Even Leonard, who has played well since returning from injury, remains on a minutes restriction and isn’t playing back-to-backs. When he does play, the team is closely monitoring his workload as he ramps up to a consistent 30-35 minutes per game.
The silver lining? He has managed to stay healthy.
So far, the only true constants have been Harden, who continues to play at an All-Star level, averaging 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists over his last 10 games. Zubac has become a double-double stalwart in the paint, ascending to one of the criminally underrated centers in the league.
Despite the mounting injuries and the inability to find a rhythm, the team continues to fight.
Even at 33, Leonard remains one of the NBA’s best players. Limited to 36 minutes per game, he showed his competitiveness by wanting to play and “itching to get back in,” even after sitting out for a stretch.
On Sunday, he proved the clutch gene never fades, delivering with the game on the line and the ball in his hands. His confidence was clear, something Harden acknowledged: “Big-time players make big-time plays. He’s done it throughout his entire career. He struggled, but when the time is needed, he steps up and makes a big-time shot.”
It's a promising sign moving forward with players of this caliber gutting out a win and the team's top stars delivering confidently down the stretch. Last thing the team wants is to stumble into the postseason.
Right now, the Clippers are trending in the right direction, and the hope is that their current starters can “hold it down until we can get other bodies back and healthy and hopefully end that situation strong, with a deep roster and rotation,” assistant coach Brian Shaw said.
Shaw, who filled in for a sidelined Lue (out with back pain), gave a diplomatic answer when looking ahead, saying, "This team can only control what it can control." However, he believes if the Clippers continue doing their job, playoff positioning will take care of itself.
Currently, the Clippers are two games behind the No. 7 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. They're positioned in the play-in portion of the bracket, where the winner advances to the next round with just one win.
Ultimately, Shaw emphasized the importance of winning the games they're supposed to win to control their playoff destiny. While they can't control the teams ahead of them in the standings, he acknowledged that Minnesota has been playing better of late (on a five-game winning streak) and that Golden State has gone 11-2 since acquiring Jimmy Butler.
The win gives the Clippers some breathing room from the bottom of the standings. Climbing higher will be tough, but not impossible. The real challenge is maintaining their recent success while keeping pace with the Timberwolves and Warriors over the final 18 games.
With the eighth-toughest remaining schedule, which includes matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers (54-10), Oklahoma City Thunder (53-11) and New York Knicks (40-23), the challenge ahead is significant. For now, the Clippers are in a favorable spot. Their main goal for the rest of the season is securing the sixth seed.
If healthy, they have the potential to reach that position. It's within their grasp with Harden and Zubac playing at a high level and Leonard steadily improving.
Now, can they just hold on until the reinforcements arrive?