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Vegas has us as 3.5 pt faves... giving them a drubbing on TNT is always fun.

No Clipper will be at the All-Star Weekend. Without an All-Star for the Clippers to cling on, this seemingly puts an end to their playoff hopes and resort to them punting the season. But maybe it could work in their favor. Maybe by giving up their quest for fame, it will lead them to fortune in the form of a Finals berth.

Here's what I mean: every team who has won an NBA championship had an All-Star, current or previous. No team in NBA history has ever won a championship without an All-Star, period. When I was doing this research a couple years ago, I did not specify if the player made the All-Star Game in the same year they won the title. There have been teams who reached the Finals with a first time All-Star before (Alvan Adams, Suns, 1976, lost to Celtics 2-4), so there is evidence that having an elected All-Star improves their playoff chances. But to reach the Finals without someone making the All-Star Game beforehand as a requirement (ie. cover their odds), there doesn't seem to be any record of that.

Making the Finals without an elected All-Star could be another curse breaker for the Clippers akin to their double 2-0 comeback from last year that got them into the Western Conference Finals finally. Clippers have been known for defying the odds, given their penchant for coming back from large deficits over maintaining leads. It sounds like a joke, but I think Clippers are driven to do something no team has ever done before to prove they are no longer the same loser Clippers of the Donald Sterling era.

With that challenge in mind, I think Clippers can still play spoiler in the playoffs.

No Zu tonight. Ugh.

Just make the simple play out there the lakers are all over the place

Great defense so far

Close game lots of fouls

hart must be kevin harlan's favorite player lol

Damn announcers have Hartenstein's name stuck in my head. HARTENSTEIN..STEIN..STEIN..STEIN

Clips have to slow down dribble penetration

This officiating is a farce. The refs and league are clearly stepping in to turn their precious Lakers' season around.

Did she just report that PG will have an MRI on the 24th and that will determine whether he needs surgery or not?

Ibaka is turning back the clock!

Good half. The Lakers truly suck

26 made FGs on 21 assists. Thank you Faker defense for making our offense look good.

No tech on that scrub Monk, hilarious...lol

Hell of a game from Serge so far

why is ty lue in a tik tok commercial lol

Reggie!

Reggie turning into Steph