With NBA regular season play set to start back up on Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers head into the final months of the 2019-20 season with a comfortable lead in the Western Conference.
Currently, the No. 1-seeded Lakers are four games up on the No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets.
However, that fact doesn’t matter to Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley.
In a recent interview with Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, Beverley stated that the head-to-head record between the two teams matters more than the conference standings.
“No, no,” Beverley said. “I have said, they are going to have to go through us. I think 1-through-17, coaching staff, training staff, organization, we all feel the same way. No matter what, you’ve got to come see us. That’s our attitude. That’s been our attitude since last year. And that won’t change.”
Currently, the Clippers are the in third place in the Western Conference and five games back of the Lakers. That being said, the Clippers have won both matchups between the two teams.
“They’re not No. 1 against us,” Beverley said. “We’re the only team that’s beat them twice. And it’s no discredit to them. They’re having a hell of a year. Gotta give them a lot of credit, they’re playing good basketball. But we feel like, no matter what team, Lakers, Houston, Portland, Denver, whatever. Those teams have got to come through us.”
The two teams were supposed to meet for a third time this season on Jan. 28, but the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant led to a postponement of that game. That means that the teams have two more games yet to play this season.
For the Lakers, it would surely be great to get at least one win against the Clippers. That’s because many experts expect the two to ultimately meet in the Western Conference finals.
A win or two in the remaining matchups would certainly give the Lakers more confidence heading into the postseason.
Still, there is no doubt that standings actually do matter despite Beverley’s assertion.
If the playoffs started today, the Lakers would face off against the young and inexperienced Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers would have to take on the frisky Oklahoma City Thunder.
