We talked about this a little bit in Milwaukee, but one of the nice things about a winning streak is that it provides meaning to each game. It’s like seeing how long you can rally in ping pong — every hit you’re extra focused, and you don’t want to be the one who ruins it all.
Tonight was another example of the players buying into a formula dependent on causing havoc defensively. When the Clippers do make mistakes defensively, very rarely are they effort-based, and that’s all you can really ask for at this point of the season.
It was easy to root against the Clippers when they were playing abysmal, lazy, floppy defense last year. That wasn’t endearing or attractive or particularly fun. But now, it’s just as easy to root for the Clippers to be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Defense, forced turnovers, transition opportunities — this is what we signed up for, right?
Because they’re rotating and cutting hard and all of these little things, the highlights don’t feel as empty or soulless. The substance is there. Look at it this way — the Clippers are eating all their vegetables every night, so it’s okay for them to enjoy a little dessert. They deserve it. With ten games down and three cupcakes on the schedule ahead, hopefully some more treats like this are on the way:
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