Getty Paul George and Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers resume there cross the hall rivalry on Sunday at 3:30 PM EST time on ABC. The Los Angeles Clippers won the first two meetings, but Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is not worried about them affecting his team’s confidence.
“The regular-season games, at the end of the day, when the playoffs come around don’t really matter,” Vogel said, per Melissa Rohlin of Sports Illustrated. “For us, it’s just about getting better and believing that every time we take the floor, we can beat anybody when we’re at our best. And no matter what happens tomorrow is going to change that.”
However, a loss on Sunday afternoon for the Lakers will push their season record against the Clippers to 0-3 this season. The last time the Clippers swept the Lakers in a regular-season series during the 2015-16 season. Both Los Angeles teams have made some strategic moves this past offseason and during the season to help put them into title contention. The Lakers are currently in first place in the Western Conference with a 48-13 record, while the Clippers are 5 and half-game back with a 43-19 record heading into Sunday’s contest.
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Kevin Hart has the Clippers Winning it all
During the second quarter of the Philadephia 76ers and Golden State Warriors, Kevin Hart, who is a huge Sixers fan was interviewed by Israel Gutierrez. During the segment Hart was asked beside his Sixers, who did he have winning it all.
“If not my Sixers, I think the Clippers have a real shot,” said Hart.
Kevin Hart says if it’s not his Philadelphia 76ers, he thinks the Clippers will win the NBA title this year.
The Clippers are currently on a six-game winning streak heading into Sundays against the Los Angeles Lakers after destroying the Houston Rockets Thursday night on the road.
After the game against the Rockets, Clippers’ head coach was asked about the Rockets’ small-ball lineup, and not playing with a true center.
“What they do is smart for what they do, it really is, but we couldn’t get caught in trying to play that way and I thought we didn’t,” he said. “We stayed calm, moved the ball, found the open guy and our bigs were big.”
Former Rocket Scottie Pippen detailed how he would defend the small by lineup from the Rockets. Pippen shared that he wouldn’t play into their hands.
“I wouldn’t play into their hands, I would keep a big out on the floor because you have to a rim protector. What they are trying to do is to try to get teams to match up with their lineup, and if you match up with their lineup then they are going to have an advantage because of Westbrook and Harden,” Pippen shared. “The speed that they possess in terms of pushing the basketball, the downhill in terms of being able to score in transition. So, you really can’t match up the way they want to match up, but at times you are going to have to play small-ball because your bigs are not going to be able to get there.”
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