The LA Clippers were the hottest team in the NBA entering Saturday night’s contest against the worst team in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings entered the contest with a league-worst record of 16–51, while the Clippers had won 28 of their previous 39 games, coming back from 15 games under .500 in a single season to climb above .500 for the first time.
What followed was a potentially season-changing play.
The Clippers lost the game against the shorthanded Kings, 118–109, but it was a contest in which they fell behind by 20 points and never got involved. There was a stretch in the fourth quarter where the Clippers got within three, but it coincided with Kawhi Leonard, who suffered an injury in the first half that required stitches, exited the game with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return due to a sprained left ankle.
Leonard was out of favor in the next game against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to another loss against the second-best team in the NBA despite holding an 18-point lead in the first half. Benedict Mathurin suffered a toe injury in that loss that has kept him out of the Clippers’ three-game road trip, and depending on how his toe responds to rehab and treatment, it could keep him out even longer.
On Wednesday and Thursday the Clippers head to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans, a venue that has famously suited the franchise over the past half-decade. And if you’re a fan of the team, it was no surprise that the Clippers lost both games that Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland played in, with both having to sit out.
This was seen as a huge opportunity for the Clippers to make a run at the Western Conference standings and potentially clinch a play-in berth. It was a long shot, but entering the Kings game on March 14, the Clippers climbed to a 34–32 record, trailing the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns by just four games in the loss column and the Denver Nuggets by six games in the loss column.
The Clippers are now in a three-way tie for the 8th seed. The injuries came at the worst possible time, as they have now lost 4 games in a row (including the 3rd worst teams in the league).
LA has lost all its momentum and is unable to make any headway on the Suns, who have also lost 4 games… pic.twitter.com/qjZXrDvSCk
– Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 20 March 2026
LA had a very favorable schedule based on strength of schedule and remaining advantage games compared to their opponents, while the Suns were facing a road trip that included the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and San Antonio Spurs.
Now the Clippers are riding a four-game losing streak, holding no lead on Phoenix despite their four-game losing streak, while the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers come right behind them to try to avoid the dreaded 9-10 play-in game.
The Clippers are considered one of the easiest remaining schedule powers, with several games against the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks still on tap. However, it appears this season will be reduced to three games:
March 31 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
April 10 @Portland Trail Blazers
April 12 vs. Golden State Warriors
Entering Friday, the Clippers, Blazers and Warriors are all tied in the loss column with 36 losses. The Clippers are dealing with injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Benedict Mathurin, the Blazers are still without Shaddon Sharp, and the Warriors are without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
LA currently holds a 2-1 series lead over the Warriors with one game remaining on the final day of the season. Last season, the Clippers and Warriors played a game on the final day of the NBA regular season to decide who would receive a top-six seed and who would advance to the play-in tournament.
The Clippers currently lead 2–0 in their season series against the Trail Blazers, with two more games in the final two weeks of the season.
It remains to be seen how troublesome Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury is and how serious Benedict Mathurin’s toe injury is, but with the Blazers having won four of their last six games and the Warriors expected to get Stephen Curry back by the end of the month, we could be in for an epic battle for play-in positioning.
#4game #losing #streak #puts #trouble #Warriors #Blazers
