| Spring Forward? Not For Clippers Authored by Graham Flashner - March 12, 2007 - 2:49 am
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Oh wait – this isn’t a Lakers article, excuse me.
In an all-too-familiar scenario that’s become as predictable as Bill Murray waking up each morning to “Groundhog Day”, the Clippers showed little life, forgot to show up for the second half, and put up minimal resistance in losing to the Detroit Pistons, 98-80 at Staples Center.
As the dreary losses continue to mount – four in a row now, nine straight overall to the Pistons – any self-respecting member of Clipper Nation must ask themselves: is making the playoffs really worth it?
Only by the bumbling ineptitude of the teams below them are the Clippers still holding on to the No. 8 spot, but their contender status is an illusion that should fool nobody.
This is not a playoff team; it’s a team in search of the chemistry that bound them a year ago. A team that keeps talking about the need to come together, to hang together, to step up – and never does. A fragile team about to embark on a six-game, ten-day trip that could (some would say mercifully) finish their season.
“I’m really disappointed in our toughness right now, mental and physical,” said Mike Dunleavy. “Guys have got to go battle. You can have all the schemes you want, all the great ideas you want, but it comes down to physical toughness."
At least Dunleavy didn’t have to watch very long. In the opening minutes of the third quarter, he picked up his second technical foul and was ejected. It was a smart move, considering that the Clippers, who trailed by only 47-43 at the half, were in the midst of a six-minute scoreless drought that enabled the Pistons to extend their lead to 16,.and end all pretenses of a contest.
And they did it without Rasheed Wallace, serving a one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical foul in Denver on Friday night.
Chris Kaman (6 points), who was tormented in the post by Chris Webber (19 points, 11 rebounds) continues to look like an episode of “Lost”; the 6’10 Tim Thomas continues to live and die from three-point land, and with Shaun Livingston done for the season and Sam Cassell only able to lead in spurts, the Clippers have no go-to guy, and no one to protect Elton Brand when teams, as the Pistons did today, shut off his inside game.
It wasn’t much of a birthday for Brand ( 11 points, 4-12) who turned 28, but sounded like a weary 38 year-old as he analyzed the Clipper’s offensive deficiencies, which he mostly credited to “teams taking us out of our sets, making it hard for me to get shots off out of traps.”
The turning point of the game was a metaphor for the Clippers entire season: an opportunity that got away. In the waning moments before halftime, the Clippers’ one burst of energy had cut a nine-point deficit to one. Elton Brand missed a jumper that would’ve given them the lead, and some badly needed momentum. Instead, the ball bounced out to Chauncey Billups (17 points, 12 assists), who ran upcourt and sank a 35-footer to beat the buzzer.
It was a bad day for basketball in Los Angeles – anyone catch that Lakers-Dallas game? -
and now the Clippers, who haven’t beaten a team over .500 since a January 31 victory over the Bulls, take their 8-21 road record to San Antonio and Houston.
“It is make-or-break time, that's the way we have to look at it, because we can't look at what other teams are doing," said Brand. "Other teams keep losing, so we keep the spot, but we have to take it upon ourselves to win some games.” |
