Clippers veteran point guard James Harden has never missed the postseason in his 16 years and currently has the fourth-longest streak in NBA history at 15, and he is not about to break that run.
“We don’t plan on it,” Harden said of the team’s chances of missing this season’s playoffs.
Yet, at their No. 8 standing in the Western Conference, the Play-In Tournament seems to be their destiny.
While the top six teams automatically qualify for the playoffs, teams 7-10 compete for two playoff spots in the Play-In Tournament.
Still, the Clippers could get a shot if they play more like the team that beat the Atlanta Hawks on Friday than the one that lost to the 18-win New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of its three-game trip this past week.
“We got 15 games left, so every game is important,” Harden told reporters after the Clippers’ 121-98 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta.
The Clippers (37-30) remain ensconced in eighth and the chances of moving ahead of No. 6 Golden State Warriors and No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves, both 1½ games ahead of the Clippers as of Saturday, seem slim.
The Warriors, 38-28 going into Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks, have won six straight and nine of their last 10. The Timberwolves (39-29) have won seven in a row.
The Clippers’ upcoming schedule will make the task even more difficult.
They return home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday followed by games against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference.
They can ill-afford another three-game losing streak, which they have done six times this season.
The Clippers, however, are encouraged by their recent play that has resulted in them winning five of their past six.
The Clippers rebounded after a disappointing loss to the Pelicans to post victories against the Miami Heat and Hawks. They displayed a renewed effort on defense, especially in transition, that had been missing lately.
“I think we did a good job,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought KD (Kris Dunn) did a good job setting the tone, not just for the game, but that third quarter. We came out defensively and we were all locked in.”
The Clippers had 14 steals and five blocked shots and limited the Hawks to 42.0% shooting from the field and 27.3% (9 of 33) from 3-point range.
As successful as the trip ended, Harden urged his teammates not to get ahead of themselves and keep checking the standings.
“The trip was good, could have been better,” Harden said. “Can’t look ahead, we have to take it one game at a time and focus on the next opponent.”
SIMMONS RETURNS
In six games with the Clippers, Ben Simmons has posted an eye-catching 29 assists with two turnovers. In his first game back after missing seven games because of a sore left knee, he had four assists, two steals and no turnovers against the Hawks.
His play hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“I have to learn something from Ben,” said Harden, who had six turnovers in the first half Friday but none in the second.
Simmons, who signed a one-year deal with the Clippers on Feb. 10, told reporters in Atlanta that his playmaking is “just a feel in creating those reads and pushing the ball and guys are just getting to their spots. They make it easy for me.”
Charlotte at Clippers
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/radio: FDSNSC/AM 570