The Los Angeles Clippers clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday night with a 122-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and afterward Doc Rivers was eager to make a point.
A team many experts pegged as a bottom feeder in the Western Conference, Los Angeles has clearly exceeded expectations. Playing off that, Rivers walked into the team’s locker room with a bottle of champagne and a fiery rant against the Clippers’ critics.
“ESPN predicted 33 wins, that’s what they said. Charles Barkley: 33 wins. Vegas: 33 wins. And we’re going to the damn playoffs.”
The Clippers have absolutely lived up to Patrick Beverley’s preseason boast about being the best team in LA, too. Though, the second half of his bold prediction has yet to be proven true.
Currently the No. 5 seed in the west, Los Angeles is currently 45-30 with seven games left to play.