Clippers Will Regret Squandering Massive Advantage in the Playoff Race

Exactly one week ago, the Los Angeles Clippers were riding high after going two games above .500 for the first time all season. They had won their seventh game over their last eight and established themselves as the clear favorite to make the playoffs out of the play-in tournament. One week later, the Clippers' season has been turned upside down, and they no longer have the inside track to clinch a playoff seed.

A big reason why the Clippers had a ton of hope entering the final month of the season was the fact that they had one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NBA. Only four of their remaining 16 games were against likely playoff teams. However, this week, they went 0-4 in a schedule that had three non-playoff teams.

Home losses to the Kings and the Spurs, followed by back-to-back losses to the Pelicans, pushed the Clippers to 34-36 for the season. They are now tied with the Blazers and the Warriors in the loss column.

Clippers No Longer the Clear Favorite to Clinch No. 8 Seed

While it's important to note that two of these losses came without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers are running out of time and excuses. Yes, the injuries have hit the Clippers at a bad time, but they have no choice but to figure things out quickly to avoid falling further down the standings.

Leonard remains hobbled with an ankle sprain. Darius Garland is still not playing on both nights of back-to-backs. Bennedict Mathurin will sit out at least one more game as the team is managing his toe injury. Even though the Clippers continue to have a relatively easy schedule, these injuries put them at risk of missing the playoffs.

Of course, the Clippers can still make the playoffs even if they finish the regular season as the ninth or tenth seed. This, however, requires winning two games as opposed to just one if they are in the top eight. If they finish tenth, the Clippers have to win two road games to clinch the No. 8 seed. Considering that they are 15-21 on the road for the season, this would be an uphill battle, regardless of how well Garland and Leonard are playing.

LA may have a favorable schedule, but the Blazers have the third-easiest schedule in the entire league. Per Tankathon.com, the win percentage of their remaining opponents, which include the Wizards, Nets, Kings, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Bucks, is .446. Plus, they are healthier than the Clippers now that they have Deni Avdija back in the starting lineup.

The Clippers will regret the home loss to the Kings, followed by two losses in a row to New Orleans, if they go on the road in the play-in tournament. They had a chance to build a cushion heading into the final three weeks of the season, but have failed to do so. Now, they have no choice but to hope that Leonard is back at 100% when they take on Dallas on Saturday to end their losing streak.