2 Reasons Why Clippers Will Win in the Play-In Tournament

The Los Angeles Clippers' wild regular season concluded on Sunday with a 115-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors. After a disappointing start to the year and two franchise-altering trades, head coach Ty Lue has his team in the play-in tournament as the ninth seed with a 42-40 record.

It's not the ideal position to be in, especially considering the Clippers held the eighth seed until a tough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers pushed LA down the standings. Now, they must defeat the Warriors once more on Wednesday and play the loser of the Phoenix Suns and the Trail Blazers.

It's a steep hill to climb for Lue's Clippers, but this team is used to overcoming adversity. There are two reasons why LA could win both play-in games and secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Clippers Will Have the Best Player on the Court

The Clippers will have a tough assignment with Steph Curry. Everyone knows his repertoire, but since returning from a knee injury, his minutes have been limited. Curry played 29 minutes on Sunday and scored 24 points on 7/14 shooting. After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford will be on a minutes restriction for Wednesday's game. That could limit Curry's impact.

Regardless of who the Clippers play, should they beat the Warriors, Kawhi Leonard will be the best player on the floor. The 34-year-old posted a career high of 27.9 points per game during the regular season, which finished sixth in the league. He's taken more threes this season and is shooting 39% from beyond the arc.

LA's postseason hopes start and end with Leonard. He is the engine, and few players in the league perform at a higher level in the playoffs than Leonard. He's kept this team afloat during tough times this season, and his high-level play could elevate the Clippers into the No. 8 seed.

Clippers Are Healthy at the Right Time

Leonard sat out the final regular-season game, but he should be fully available for Wednesday. Garland has only missed one game this month, and his contributions will be critical during the play-in tournament. However, it appears that center Isaiah Jackson should return from an eight-game absence against Golden State.

Jackson and Bennedict Mathurin were the returning players in a trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers. Initially, Jackson didn't really have a defined role in the rotation until Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered a season-ending injury. That thrust Jackson into the backup big-man role, and his health is important to the Clippers' success.

It appears LA is healthy at the perfect time, and they will be a tough out at full strength. Lue's team is littered with playoff experience, and back-to-back wins in the play-in tournament are certainly plausible.

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