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Anyone have a friend or relative that used to be pretty cool but then either made a bunch of money or got a bunch of power and became a totally different person? Well that friend or relative is the LA Clippers.
Remember the good ol' days when Loy Vaught passed for the best player on a team and Benoit Benjamin got regular playing time? Those were fun times. Well now the Clippers are a bunch of jerks that hate cooperating with a Phoenix team trying to make the playoffs.
First they show up and act like terrible guests in rallying from 17 down to beat the Suns, and then they return home and lose to the Clippers.
Doc Rivers isn't even a real doctor.
Thursday April 3rd Key Western Conference Results:
Dallas Mavericks 113 Los Angeles Clippers 107 (Recap) - Like we didn't see this coming. When the Clippers took a 4 point lead in the middle of the third quarter I was thinking maybe they wouldn't let me down. When they rallied to tie the game at 89 with 8:44 to go in the 4th I was again injected with a little bit of hope. Then in a move I can only assume they learned from the Suns, they stopped playing for about 5 minutes. After that 5 minutes they trailed by 12 with 3:24 left. A furious rally had they draw with 2 points of Dallas and actually get two separate open three point attempts to take the lead - but a returning J.J. Redick and Darren Collison missed their shots and the Mavericks garnered an enormous road win. Dirk Nowtizki had 26 points and 11 boards for the Mavs while Vince Carter added 16 points - including 4 three pointers - in an effort that makes me want to change my sig.
Cliff Paul isn't real, jumping over a Kia isn't really that impressive (hell Marko Milic did something similar), and Jared Dudley is fat again.
Bleh.
Current Western Conference Standings:
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | L10 | STREAK |
| 1.San Antonio |
59 | 17 | .776 | - | 9-1 | LOST 1 |
| 2. Oklahoma City |
55 | 19 | .743 | 3 |
8-2 | WON 3 |
| 3. LA Clippers |
54 | 23 | .701 | 5.5 | 7-3 | LOST 1 |
| 4. Houston | 49 | 25 | .662 | 9 | 5-5 | LOST 3 |
| 5. Portland |
49 | 27 | .645 | 10 | 6-4 | WON 4 |
| 6. Golden State |
46 | 29 | .613 | 12.5 | 5-5 | LOST 1 |
| 7. Dallas |
45 | 31 | .592 | 14 | 6-4 | WON 1 |
| 8. Memphis |
44 | 31 | .587 | 14.5 |
6-4 | LOST 1 |
| - SUNS |
44 | 31 | .587 | 15 | 7-3 | LOST 2 |
Friday April 4th Western Conference Games of Significance:
Suns @ Trail Blazers: The last time the Suns were in Portland they opened the lane so wide for a Damian Lillard game winner that you'd think the play was blown dead:
Fun play, huh?
I know it's a road game against a team that has been playing great basketball since LaMarcus Aldridge returned from his latest injury but if the Suns have designs on ending their playoff drought they're going to need to find a way tonight.
Nuggets @ Grizzlies: The Nuggets hung nice and tough with the Grizzlies earlier this week which hopefully bodes well for tonight's matchup. Unfortunately this game will be in Memphis. On the plus side since missing a game tying three pointer the other night Timofey Mosgov is shooting a scorching 50% from three point range.
Kings @ Warriors: I know the Suns are only two back of Golden State but the Dubs are pretty much done with the competitive portion of their schedule. I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't cruise by a Kings team that hasn't beaten a good West team on the road since the calendar flipped to 2014.
Mavericks @ Lakers: Back to back games are rarely easy but it helps when you don't have to get on a plane and are playing the Lakers. Maybe the playoff tested Mavericks will take the Western Conference's 2nd worst team lightly - and maybe Captain America will lose in his latest sequel.
You're all thinking it so I'm just gonna say it - with our playoff foes playing bottom feeders and the Suns in Portland, today could be a really, really bad night for the Suns playoff hopes.