WHETHER it’s a playoff matchup or public debates, chickening out seems to be a trend. Floyd Mayweather remained undefeated by chickening out on opponents who could actually beat him. Or in the case of Manny Pacquiao, wait until he is past his prime. That would leave him a 50-0 record and give him a right to yak about being the greatest of all time.

But we all saw what happened and we all knew how he got to keep that 50-0 record. There are quarters who would say that Mayweather was smart and that he had every right to do what he thought was right in order to reach his goal.

The Clippers totally tanked against the Houston Rockets. This is not a question. They sat out Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley. They also played Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris just 12 minutes each, with Luke Kennard and rookie Jay Scrubbs (what an unfortunate name) 40 minutes each. This is obviously not their Playoffs MO (modus operandi).

‘Smart positioning’

Just to clarify, the Clippers are not the first team to tank a game (or four) to avoid facing a strong opponent. Some call it “smart positioning” or “strategic tanking.” For sure, Coaches like Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich have done it. If I were coaching the Clippers now, I’d probably do it, too.

The reason for this is not exactly rocket science. The Lakers could make it to sixth place, and losing to the lowly Rockets will help them drop to fourth place and face the Dallas Mavericks again. That’s all good, but Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently bared this in his podcast:

“I have talked to some people in the league who said it would be an advantage for the Clippers to play the Lakers in the first round because Staples Center will have very few fans in it and therefore the inherent disadvantage of playing home games in front of Lakers fans would be minimized. And then if you’re the Clippers, you figure you have to play the Lakers at some point. That battle royale has to happen.”

The Clippers have been relatively light on the bravado this season. No declarations of multiple titles and how they’ll take over LA. It’s only embarrassing if you deny it, since the Clippers will once again end up as the poseurs of the NBA.

The Lakers still have a long shot at the sixth seed, but they need the Denver Nuggets to beat the Portland Trail Blazers. The Nuggets may not be so keen on doing that since it would ensure their match-up with the Lakers. The Nuggets can basically choose their opponent: they can beat the Blazers and take the Lakers, or let the Blazers beat them and see them again in a week.

The battle-weary Blazers would want to avoid the play-in and take a week off. They will give their best effort, and they would also want to take on Denver considering Jamal Murray won’t play.

Fear the deer?

There doesn’t seem to be any creativity needed in the other conference. Only securing the no.1 seed to avoid a collision course with the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. That seems practical, since getting the one seed will have playoff neophytes New York Knicks in the second round.

However, If the playoffs started today, the Bucks would bump into the Miami Heat, and it could be a war. The likely no.2, Brooklyn Nets, will face the survivor of that marquee first round revenge match, and they may be better than facing the possible upstart Knicks. Tom Thibodeau is a top playoff coach, and he could have some tricks up his sleeve.

The team with nothing to lose should be the scariest. The Knicks have definitely overachieved and they have a very positive attitude going into the playoffs, not to mention a rabid fan base.

Heat is King?

Only here in the Philippines. Summer’s full wrath is upon us, and as far as the Filipinos are concerned, the NBA Finals has the Suns vs. the Heat. Happy Dad Jokes week!