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Matchup 3 out of 4, with the last being exactly a week ago.

A 3-6 record since the All-Star break has caused concern for the Thunder and let Los Angeles (41-21) pull within 1 1/2 games of them for third place in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City needs a high-profile win considering its 3-9 record against the top four teams from each conference, with the only victory since Christmas coming against Miami.

The Clippers, meanwhile, have three such wins in just the past month.

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400828842

Clippers leaders since Blake injury

Chris Paul:
21.8 ppg / 4.6 rpg / 10.2 apg / 2.1 spg / 2.6 tpg / .584 TS%

J.J. Redick:
17.8 ppg / 48.0% FG / 49.5% 3PT / .637 TS%

DeAndre Jordan:
13.9 ppg / 15.1 rpg / 2.2 bpg / 67.9% FG / 47.2% FT

Jamal Crawford:
16.2 ppg / 90% FT / .536 TS% / 104 Ortg

Wesley Johnson:
7.8 ppg / 4.4 rpg / 5.1 3PA / 1.7 spg / 0.9 bpg

Clippers keys to the game:

1) Keep up the defense: Last game, Westbrook was held to .508 TS%, Durant to .522 TS%, and Ibaka to .335 TS%. It will be hard to expect that again, but the Clippers will need to keep up the defensive intensity vs OKC. It is understandable that Durant and Westbrook can get theirs to a reasonable extent, but the Clippers don't want any of the complimentary players going off on them in addition.

2) Be wary of overusing the 3PT shot: In the absense of Blake, the team doesn't have as many options of players to go to the basket, but last game vs OKC for example, Wesley Johnson and Jeff Green started the game 1/17 FG and 1/5 3PT. Doc needs to try and find a way to get Johnson more attempts around the rim, though I don't know if it is possible. For the season Johnson is attempting 7 3PA/36, and after a hot start, he's shooting just 30.2% 3PT over his last 32 games. He's a quick trigger from 3PT range and he is allergic to driving to the basket. Jeff Green is a capable slasher, and he was able to bring some of that balance in the loss to Atlanta, hitting 4 FG around the basket. The Clippers could use that ability in this game.

3) Production from the "F" spot: Jeff Green was a non factor in the last game vs OKC and in general has been non-existent in games vs good teams. He needs to make his presence known in some way. It doesn't actually need to be scoring, but defense, high level rebounding, just positive contribution. In his last three games he's had an 0-7 outting vs OKC last week, and an 0-5 outing vs Dallas on Monday, he really needs to get his head in the game. Wesley Johnson struggled with his shooting, but was critical defensively in the previous win, so he needs to do that again. Any production from Pierce would be appreciated.

I devised six scenarios in which the Clippers could take the 3rd seed. The viable options were:

Clips and Thunder win theirs:
43-20 (0.682) for OKC, 42-20 (0.677) for LAC
Win vs. Thunder puts Clippers at 43-20 and Thunder 43-21

Clips win theirs, Thunder loses theirs:
42-21 (0.667) for OKC, 42-20 (0.677) for LAC
Win vs. Thunder puts Clippers at 43-20 and Thunder 42-22

Clips win one, Thunder loses theirs:
42-21 (0.667) for OKC, 41-21 (0.661) for LAC
Win vs. Thunder puts Clippers at 42-21 and Thunder 42-22

Instead, you got this:

Clips win one, Thunder win theirs:
43-20 (0.682) for OKC, 41-21 (0.661) for LAC
Win vs. Thunder puts Clippers at 42-21 and Thunder 43-21

Clips lost to the Hawks but won against the Mavs. The Thunder, however, countered with a win against the Bucks. As a result, Thunder will retain the 3rd seed for the time being. Clippers will need to win this game for head-to-head purposes.

Their best chance at a 3rd seed is to win the season series in their final meeting, given the Thunder don't win tonight's game. If Oklahoma City pulls out a win tonight, Clippers will be forced to tie, or risk losing the season series.

Should the season series defeat to OKC happen, the Clippers must stay in 4th for the rest of the regular season. Here's what the playoff path would look like if the Clippers decided to tanks games to get a favorable path to a championship:

4th: Grizzlies (HC), Warriors, Spurs/Thunder
5th: Grizzlies, Warriors, Spurs/Thunder (Road team)
6th: Thunder, Spurs, Warriors (Road team, death march)
7th: Spurs, Thunder, Warriors (Road team, death march)
8th: Warriors, Grizzlies, Spurs/Thunder (Road team, 1st round exit, automatic sweep, inevitable rebuild)

Ouch.

I don't understand what you are saying , why would 4th be better than 3rd? It seems like that is what you are implying by saying that 4th is a "favorable" parth to championship. What is favorable about facing GS in the 2nd round vs SA?

The Clippers need to face their fear of the Golden State Warriors, period. They created this juggernaut by not taking them seriously in the 2012-13 season. The first meeting - the one where the Warriors had a 11-0 lead, turned into a shootout, and the Clippers assumed the win was automatically theirs until the Warriors realized it and got greedy - was just a painful lesson in that you can turn lottery teams into title contenders if you underestimate your competition. They got Blake Griffin ejected from a game in the 2013-14 season, and nearly tempted the Clippers into trading him to the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. The Warriors are everything that the Clippers always wanted to be, and it's quite possible that the Clippers will never reach that potential again.

Just think, OG. If the Clippers are to blame for the Warriors rise to a dynasty, should it be their responsibility to dethrone them. The only way I see the Clippers getting out of the second round for the first time in franchise history is to defeat the very team they should have never created a championship team out of in the first place. It would be poetic justice for the Clippers, just like how the Boston Red Sox needed a 0-3 miracle comeback against the New York Yankees, the distributor of the Curse Of The Bambino, to break an 86-year World Series drought.

I would avoid the 5th seed because the Clippers become a road team for the playoff run.
I would avoid the 6th seed because the Spurs are in the 2nd round, and Chris Paul is 0-2 against them in the 2nd round only.
I would avoid the 7th seed because the Thunder are in the 2nd round, and the Clippers would have to relive the rigged Game 5.
I would avoid both the 6th and 7th because then the Clippers would be distracted by looking ahead to the Warriors, repeating their error of last year, minus the 3-1 collapse.

There is one silver lining. Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers are reunited. Doc Rivers has never made the conference finals without Paul Pierce. That is what Doc is relying on, Pierce's presence as a lucky charm and an instant pass to the conference finals, whether he plays or not.

first, I do not believe in lucky charms. however I do believe in luck. with that being said pp is not helping this team. I was hoping green would fill that void but so far he has been horrible. this team has a huge problem at the three spot and will not make it unless they solve this issue. all the players they have tried have flaws that just are to much to over come.

i don't believe in lucky charms or anything like that.

i do believe though that paul pierce has been horrendous and the worst player by far. oh and that jeff green sucks, the trade sucks as much now as the first day it happened, and that jeff green will continue to suck.

Wammy Giveaway wrote:8th: Warriors, Grizzlies, Spurs/Thunder (Road team, 1st round exit, automatic sweep, inevitable rebuild)

Ouch.

you heard it here first


getting another win against the Thunder without Griffin would do wonders for the Clippers confidence, and would definitely be in the heads of OKC's players if a playoff matchup occurred IMO

At the moment, the Clips are 5th overall in defensive efficiency and 6th overall offensively.

The Thunder organization has gone through a lot of tragedy this season. My condolences to Dion Waiters and his family.

Let's get this done fellas.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/707758155439087617[/tweet]

BlzMwt wrote:

Wammy Giveaway wrote:8th: Warriors, Grizzlies, Spurs/Thunder (Road team, 1st round exit, automatic sweep, inevitable rebuild)

Ouch.

you heard it here first


getting another win against the Thunder without Griffin would do wonders for the Clippers confidence, and would definitely be in the heads of OKC's players if a playoff matchup occurred IMO

I don't believe in this line of logic and I argue against it daily.

Game 4 in the Semis last year did wonders for our confidence and was definitely in the heads of the Rockets players.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/latbbolch/status/707737153879429121[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/latbbolch/status/707753526131236864[/tweet]

Ugly start so far, hopefully our defensive intensity dramatically improves as the game goes on.

Geoff Green is awful.

I'm in Nick's camp here.
smfh

paul pierce is KILLING this team right now. holy crap

Well earned tech Doc.

Don't care who calls you or our team whiners.

Get the call right if you don't want us to bitch.

nickhx2 wrote:paul pierce is KILLING this team right now. holy crap

He's awful.

yeah, i'll take that T every day. that ref needed to know how garbage he was.

lol what were dj and green doing there when wes got beat? holy crap this team is dumb sometimes.

Quake Griffin wrote:

BlzMwt wrote:

Wammy Giveaway wrote:8th: Warriors, Grizzlies, Spurs/Thunder (Road team, 1st round exit, automatic sweep, inevitable rebuild)

Ouch.

you heard it here first


getting another win against the Thunder without Griffin would do wonders for the Clippers confidence, and would definitely be in the heads of OKC's players if a playoff matchup occurred IMO

I don't believe in this line of logic and I argue against it daily.

Game 4 in the Semis last year did wonders for our confidence and was definitely in the heads of the Rockets players.

well i'm not saying it's going to determine a series or even a game... it's just something that could be an advantage