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The Los Angeles Clippers have already played 12 games this month, going 8-4 in that span, unable to do the one word Allen Iverson made famous (or infamous).

Being scheduled for 17 games in one month is tough on any team and with the surging Atlanta Hawks (20-7) waiting for LA at Phillips Arena Tuesday night, it’ll provide a major test for the Clips before their Christmas showdown with the Golden State Warriors.

Doc RiversHaving less time for recovery and practice is nothing less than hard for the players. The Clippers have shown on the defensive end how they’ve been affected, mainly due to the rigorous schedule this month that has cut into practice time.

“What we can do better is come into the game and have a defensive mindset,” Doc Rivers (left) said. “I think because we score so much, I think a lot of times we come into games and feel like, ‘let’s just go blow them out with our offense.” (Via: Fox Sports West)

But don’t get it wrong, the Clippers have done exceptionally well through such a long stretch of games in a short amount of time. With the team at 19-9 and in second place in the Pacific Division, the Clippers are navigating rather safely through this December gauntlet.

The Clippers have five games left this month and it will indeed be a challenge to continue winning without sufficient practice.

Los Angeles shooting guard J.J. Redick (right) explains,jj redick

“It’s difficult to stay sharp and not only [not] practice, we haven’t really been able to do a whole lot in shoot-around and we’ve had a lot of walk-throughs in the hotel or just meeting here like we did [Saturday],” said Redick.

“So the schedule, yeah, it actually affects you because there’s slippage on both ends. Your execution isn’t as sharp. It happens.” (Via: LATimes,Ben Bolch)

Their performance against Atlanta will be a good litmus test to prepare themselves for their Christmas clash with Golden State (23-3) who have steamrolled everyone in front of them this year under first-year head coach Steve Kerr.

 

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