After 'terrible' loss to Kings, Clippers catch a break in schedule

LOS ANGELES >> The Clippers need a break.

Fortunately, the schedule finally gives them one.

After blowing an 18-point lead in the last five minutes in a 98-97 loss to the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Clippers do not play again until Wednesday against Washington. The Clippers have consecutive days off for the first time in a month. Monday was an off day and when they gather for practice this morning in Playa Vista, it will be their first time doing so since Feb. 28.

“The fact I can say practice is really nice,” Coach Doc Rivers said.

The Clippers (44-31) are 8-8 this month, which Rivers circled before the season began as the toughest stretch of the season. They are just 9-10 since the All-Star break in mid-February.

After playing three more games in four nights, the Clippers will have three days off next week before the final four games of the regular season.

“We need practices,” Rivers said, “and I’ve been saying that for a while. The good news is now with this stretch coming up we’ll be able to really get our (practices in). … But I like how we’re trending. I think the practices will take us over the top.”

Today will give Rivers a chance to do more than in limited day-of-game walk-throughs, although he said he’s “not going to push them.” Instead the focus will be on muscle memory, execution, trying to get back to the things that early this season had the Clippers atop the West.

“It’ll be nice to have a practice,” forward Blake Griffin said. “To be able to get up and down and be able to work on some stuff and hopefully that gets us into a better groove.”

The Clippers have won four of six games, their two losses by a combined three points, and each of those, Sunday and three nights earlier, came down to a missed jump shot at the buzzer.

After Sunday’s loss, the Clippers were clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead on Oklahoma City for fifth in the Western Conference and trailed the Utah Jazz by a full game for fourth.

The timing, as they say, was not ideal.

Chris Paul called Sunday against Sacramento “a terrible loss” and “probably the worst one in the regular season in my career,” but said the Clippers would find a way to get past it.

“You ain’t got no choice,” he said. “Once the buzzer sound, you look at the film. I’m sure we’ll talk about it. Doc said some stuff after the game, but got to get ready for Washington.”

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