Clippers Continue to Struggle Without CP3
While Chris Paul continues to sit with that bothersome kneecap he bruised in what is now a very costly loss last month to the Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Clippers continue to free fall in the NBA’s Western Conference playoff standings.
On Sunday, after a paltry 10 points in the second quarter left them trailing the Boston Celtics 59-40 at the the half, the Clippers lost for the second straight game 106-104. They have now lost six of their last eight games since Paul went down for the second time due to the bruised knee he suffered while colliding with J.J. Redick on Jan 12. Since then he has played in only two games. Without him, the Clippers are a mess, especially in the half-court offense.
The Clippers have fallen from first in the Western Conference to third in the last eight games. They are now four games behind the San Antonio Spurs who lead the West and are only 2.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies who are in the fourth. The Clippers lead in the Pacific Division is now down to three games over the Golden State Warriors who are in the fifth spot. If the Grizzlies and Warriors catch them, they will be on the road to start the playoffs, and a once very promising season will likely be down the drain quickly.
L.A. turned the ball over 21 times against the Celtics with Paul not in there to run the offense. Still the Clippers rallied to close it to a two-point game. The worst news is Paul’s return has no timetable. That means more games without their superstar, which many will be on the road. The Clippers have already lost to two very beatable teams on this road trip in the Toronto Raptors and the Celtics, who are also without their superstar point guard in Rajon Rondo. They will face the Washington Wizards tonight and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. These are games they cannot afford to lose as other teams in the West are putting these games into their win columns.
The road trip toughens up on Friday when they visit the Miami Heat, followed by the New York Knicks on Sunday. It would sure be nice if they could get CP3 back for those games. The trip ends at the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The Clippers will then be back at Staples a week from Wednesday to face the Houston Rockets and on Thursday at the Los Angeles Lakers. That would be a very tough stretch without Paul in the lineup. Without CP3 they could find themselves far out of the top four Western Conference spots. That would mean losing home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
