Los Angeles Clippers: Will They Surpass the Lakers As the L.A. NBA Favorites?
Back on Dec. 8, Derek Fisher’s buzzer-beater enabled the Lakers to edge out the Clippers, their Staples Center co-tenants, 87-86. That started the Clippers on a four-game slide.
Since then, the perennial Western Conference cellar-dwellers have turned things around winning eight of their last 11 games and capping it with a statement win last night against the Miami Heat, 111-105, snapping the Heat’s 13-game road winning streak.
These were the same Miami Heat that destroyed the Lakers on Christmas Day, 96-80. And these were the same Los Angeles Clippers that began this season losing 13 of their first 14 games.
But that was then, and this is now. First-year head coach Vinnie Del Negro has finally figured out the strengths and weaknesses of his personnel while point guard Baron Davis, who was injured earlier in the year, has reignited the team with his on-court savvy.
Davis had his best game of the season against the Heat, scoring 20 points to go along with his nine assists as the Clippers led all the way from the opening tip-off.
In the Clippers' recent stretch, Davis has joined first-year wonder Blake Griffin and backcourt mate Eric Gordon to lead the Clippers on what might prove to be the end of a losing mentality.
But can the Clippers go far enough to surpass this season’s version of the Los Angeles Lakers?
That answer may become a little clearer this Sunday at 12:30 Pacific Time, when the Lakers and Clippers battle head to head at the Staples Center. However, Clipper fans like what they have seen over the past three weeks, and the bandwagon is definitely moving along.
Last night at the ESPN Zone in downtown Los Angeles, the Clippers-Heat game was on the smaller screen while the Lakers-Golden State Warriors game held center stage on the main screen.
Even though the NBA champion Lakers were in a tight battle with the Warriors that went down to the wire, fans at the ESPN Zone asked the management to switch the Clippers game onto the main screen, sending the Lakers to the smaller one.
When, I ask you, was the last time you can remember that happening?
No doubt, many of the fans there were more excited by Blake Griffin’s 24-point, 14-rebound performance than Kobe Bryant’s last-quarter heroics, scoring 17 of his 39 points in the last six minutes against the Warriors.
Or maybe those fans just appreciated the great overall team performance by the Clippers over a superstar once again taking over the final quarter to offset the sloppy, lackluster play of his teammates.
NFL Playoffs aside, this Sunday, 12:30 Pacific Time, is the Battle for L.A. Don’t miss it!
