From Tim Kawakami’s blog today (note: everything below in italics is Kawakami, everything not is my ingenious, er, un-genius, response and witty repartee thereby).

In reference to the Warriors’ chances in the race for the final Western conference playoff spots (which for weeks, he’s been describing as zero).

I’ve taken a look at the schedules for the other five “contenders,” and I can’t believe I’m typing this, but 39-43 might get a tie for the eighth spot. Heck, 39-43 might earn the spot outright.

Sadly, he’s right.

On the clippers:

The Clippers have the toughest remaining schedule–13 road games plus a road record almost as bad as the Warriors.

Even more sadly, and again, correct.

On tonite’s Warriors Clippers matchup:

Friday’s home game against the Clippers is “a double game,” according to (Warriors Coach, Don) Nelson or maybe even more. A victory would tie the season series and bring the Warriors within 1.5 games of last spot.

A loss would push the Warriors three games behind the Clippers with 18 to go, knock them five games down in the loss column, give the Clips the tie-breaker and burn up a valuable remaining Warrior home game.

Said Coach Nelson (also from Kawakami’s post):

“It’s like the plague–the eighth spot,” Don Nelson said after Wednesday’s victory. “Everybody’s avoiding it. Well, we’d like it.”

Hey, so would we, Nellie, so would we.

Big ass, Frankenstein sized game tonight. Why you think I've been yapping about it all week? A win tonite in Oaktown gives the clips a little breathing room, a loss straps on those chest clamps to the point of asphyxiation. What Clipper team will show up? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm thinking Elton, who's been struggling, really needs to step up, and they have got to keep a man on Al Harrington, a big who loves shooting from the outside. Not sure what Sam's status is for tonight. Would love to see Corey step up big, which he's actually been doing. It's hard to imagine Kaman playing any worse than he did against the Spurs earlier this week, so there's only room to get better (he said frantically searching for wood to knock on). We'll see. We shall definitely see.

Uh, well I won't, the game doesn't make it through the evil empire filters on the Honolulu Compound Satellite feed, but the Cal Oregon conference tourney game does, so I'll be staring at that. That won't stop me from reading up on the outcome for our fair clippers in the bay tonite, though, and yapping about it ad nauseum, or ad minimus, one of those, or in between, maybe. OK, aloha.

oh, and why Chris Mullin & Manute Bol in front of the Eiffel Tower? You may as well ask me why Ken Kniff is from Connecticut. Some things just are. Obviously, there's the warrior connection, but aside from that, Jesus, why not? Its entertainment value, in my mind, needs no explanation. In fact, I'm offending myself by even elaborating. Also, I like to think it serves as some kind of curse against the Warriors for tonite. Thank me later.