The Los Angeles Clippers begin a crucial four-game road swing on Wednesday when they visit the New York Knicks, who are playing the second night of a back-to-back.
Los Angeles (40-31) finds itself in a logjam in the Western Conference. Just four games separate the seventh- and eighth-place Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves from third-place Denver. The last seed with home-court advantage in the first round — currently occupied by the Los Angeles Lakers — is separated by only three games with the Clippers.
As it stands now, however, the Clippers would begin the postseason in the play-in round. Los Angeles had a five-game winning streak stopped its last time out, dropping a 103-101 nail-biter on Sunday to NBA-leading Oklahoma City despite double-doubles from both Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.
Leonard has scored at least 23 points in six consecutive appearances, with double-doubles in the last two.
Los Angeles could be without James Harden for Wednesday’s contest. He was listed as questionable on Tuesday after sustaining a foot injury against Oklahoma City.
Asked if he has conversations with the coaching staff about sitting, Harden said, “No, I’m playing. If I’m not OK, I’ll sit out.”
Harden’s availability looms large with his all-around contributions this season. His 22.5 points per game are just behind Norman Powell’s team-high 22.7, and Harden is also averaging 8.7 assists.
Meanwhile, the tightness of the Western race and stakes place a high premium on Los Angeles’ closing stretch of 11 games. Three of the upcoming four are on the road against opponents currently slated in the postseason.
New York (45-26) is one of those teams, occupying third place in the East. The Knicks opened a stretch playing three straight and five of six at home, with routs of Washington and Dallas.
OG Anunoby scored 35 points and Karl-Anthony Towns posted his first triple-double since January 2022 in Tuesday’s 128-113 win over the Mavericks.
“I pride myself on trying to get my teammates good looks and help our team,” said Towns, who dished 11 assists to go with his 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Towns came into Tuesday’s contest averaging 24.5 points and 12.9 rebounds.
The Knicks led Dallas by 26 points in the fourth quarter, giving coach Tom Thibodeau an opportunity to go deep into New York’s bench in the first leg of its back-to-back.
New York will look to continue its offensive success of the last two games, including the 122-103 win over the Wizards on Saturday, after struggling to score the last time it faced Los Angeles.
The Clippers won the other meeting with New York this season, a 105-95 decision on March 7 in Los Angeles. Harden had 27 points and seven assists in the win, Leonard scored 20 points, and Zubac went for 16 points and 14 rebounds.
That game was New York’s first of nine straight without Jalen Brunson, the Knicks’ season-long leading scorer at 26.3 points per game.
Thibodeau told reporters on Monday that Brunson was making “really good progress” in healing from the ankle injury, though he stressed that the 2023-24 All-NBA guard will not be rushed back into the lineup.
