The Clippers enter the final stretch of the season as the hottest team in the NBA, having won 20 of their past 27 games, a feat that caught many insiders by surprise. The team that started the season a woeful 6-21 is now 26-28 and sits a percentage point behind the Portland Trail Blazers for ninth place in the Western Conference. Things, however, have changed since the start of February. James Harden is gone, having been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, who is 10 years younger than the future Hall of Fame point guard. Then starting center and fan favorite Ivica Zubac was sent to the Indiana Pacers for forward Bennedict Mathurin and center Isaiah Jackson and...
