Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. - The Clippers knew the importance of this stretch, long before they rolled off three straight wins.
All it took was a quick glance at a calendar.
STAPLES Center has been a familiar place for the Clippers early this season, with 12 of their first 18 games coming at home. That’s about to change abruptly with 12 of their 16 games in December coming on the road, which makes the current six-game home stand crucial.
“It’s huge,” DeAndre Jordan said. “We can get a nice little streak going here, especially at home. It will build our morale, our confidence. But home hasn’t meant anything too much this season. That’s on us and our play. It’s a long season and we’ll pick it up here.”
That Jordan quote came after the Clippers lost the first game of the home stand to the Jazz, which marked their third straight home loss at the time. Even after falling, Jordan knew the importance of the next five matchups and what the Clippers could do to gather some momentum in their friendly confines during a six-game stretch against teams with a combined 45-58 record.
The momentum has arrived.
Following the Utah defeat, the Clippers beat New Orleans, Minnesota and Portland, successively. It marks the Clippers’ first three-game winning streak since the start of the season, and it comes at a necessary time with a daunting December now arriving.
With only four home games this month, half of which come this week, the Clippers know they need these wins.
Redick said after the loss to the Jazz he still believed the Clippers would “right the ship” and go “20-5 over 25 games” at some point.
A three-game win streak is a start, and with two of their three five-game road trips this season coming in December, immediate victories are required. Blake Griffin said he thought the Clippers were going in the right direction after beating the Pelicans, but it was crucial they continued to do so.
They’ve answered the call, though their two toughest home opponents during the stretch are still ahead as they try to rally to a strong finish after going 7-8 in November.
“It’s been a long month,” Redick said. “Seriously, it’s been a long month. It’s been a month filled with frustration.”
The Clippers are digging their way out of the November doldrums with an even tougher month ahead.
Jordan said he feels things are starting to come together for the Clippers, mostly from an effort, energy and defensive standpoint. The Clippers have held each of their last three opponents to fewer than 100 points – all wins – and are now 8-1 when doing so this season.
Still, the toughest part of this stretch is still to come. The Pacers – their Wednesday opponent – are 11-2 since losing their first three games of the season, and the Magic – their Saturday opponent – have started 9-8.
With the road schedule the Clippers are about to face, the next two games become even more essential.
“We have to take advantage of this home stand,” Redick said. “That’s the biggest thing for us is winning these games at home. When you go on a five-game East Coast swing, things happen. Those games are always tough. We have to take care of business over the next week.”