The Clippers are on a 4 game winning streak, which happens to be the second longest active streak in the NBA. The Wolves are on a 6 game losing streak. Like New Jersey on Thursday, Minnesota comes into this game having lost two straight heartbreakers, losing in Seattle Friday night.
This game scares me.
The winning streak; Cat's last minute heroics; 8th place in the West; the head-to-head season series with the Wolves (probably the most important factor) - all of these are riding on this game. A win and the momentum continues to build. A loss, on the home court, to the one team that we need to beat, and we're back at square one. Under .500. Looking for answers. Looking up at the playoffs. Still wondering what's going on.
If a game can be a must win in January, this is it.
The Wolves inexplicably fired coach Dwane Casey earlier this week, despite being at .500 at the time, and by all accounts overacheiving to be there. New coach Randy Wittman may be using the young guys a little more, though it's hard to tell based on two games. Rookie Michael Smith scored a career high 26 against Seattle last night, and Randy Foye played more minutes at the point than Mike James.
The Clippers beat the Wolves two weeks ago, recording their biggest road win of the season. They need to follow that up with the biggest home win.
LA Clippers (8) - I don't want those little parantheses to go away.
Blogging for the Bad Guys - I Heart KG