When the Clippers arrived Thursday afternoon at Staples Center, they did so as the owner of the NBA’s second-easiest remaining schedule. It was a double-edged distinction.
What might be advantageous for solidifying playoff seeding — playing the woeful quartet of Houston, Oklahoma City, Detroit and Minnesota a combined seven times over the final 20 games — also makes opportunities to gauge how the Western Conference’s third-place team might fare against playoff-caliber competition scarce.
It was why Thursday’s matchup against Phoenix, one spot ahead in the standings and owner of the league’s best record since Feb.