LOS ANGELES — It should have been a hollow moment, and to a degree, I’m sure it was. The Clippers were one quarter away from an appointment in Phoenix on Sunday night. They’d put together another of the comebacks for which they’ve become known, and they had New Orleans on the ropes … and then, just as was the case in their first shot at the play-in Tuesday night in Minnesota, they let it get away.
It sounds strange, a team that’s just fallen short of the playoffs being talked of as championship-caliber. But these are unusual circumstances. Like coming back to win from a 35-point deficit, two 25-point deficits and a 24-point deficit during the course of this season. Or advancing a culture that has been built on moxie, and taking everything thrown at them and coming back for more.
“I love it here. That coach, those guys. I mean, it’s tough today, but it’s going to be fun next year.”