It’s an edgier game for Lakers, Clippers

Playoff berths are within reach for the Lakers and Clippers, who play tonight at Staples Center.

They’ll meet for the final time in the regular season April 12, and the two games could help determine whether their seasons continue. There’s still a lot at stake for the co-dwelling rivals, and that’s a change.

“It’s definitely a different deal,” Elton Brand said. “Mathematically, both teams aren’t locked for playoff positions yet, so these games mean a lot more. They’re bigger games because there are actual playoff implications.”

That hasn’t happened in previous late-season Lakers-Clippers games.

The Lakers have qualified for postseason play in 42 of 46 seasons since moving to Los Angeles for the 1960-61 season, and often have been among the teams that clinched berths earliest in the Western Conference.

The Clippers have made only four playoff appearances since the franchise moved from Buffalo, N.Y., to California before the 1978-79 season -- they spent six seasons in San Diego, then moved to L.A. in 1984. Even last season, when the Lakers and Clippers qualified, there wasn’t as much on the line when they met down the stretch.

“We had a great year last year and we clinched early, and it seems like the Lakers are always in the playoffs,” Corey Maggette said. “Even last year, when there was all that hype about us possibly playing each other after we were already in, we weren’t fighting to get in.

“So, yeah, that’s different. It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere.”

After Tuesday’s loss to Denver, the Lakers (39-35) are still in the sixth spot, 1 1/2 games ahead of the seventh-place Nuggets. The Lakers have a 2 1/2 -game lead over the Clippers (36-37), who were eighth, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors for the final spot.

“This is a fun time of year,” Cuttino Mobley said. “There are Laker fans out there and there are Clipper fans out there, both teams are fighting to get in and the fans are loving it.”

After tonight, the Clippers have eight games remaining, including four against opponents with winning records. In their final seven games, the Lakers twice face the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns.

“Each game is your next step toward clinching a playoff spot,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “They’re extremely important.”

The Clippers are rising to the occasion, players said.

They’re 6-1 in their last seven games, but 0-2 against the Lakers this season.

“To go through all the struggles we went through all year, people counting us out and saying all kind of things, it feels good that we kept level heads and kept competing through it all,” Tim Thomas said.

“The season is not where we wanted it to be, as far as winning games and things of that nature, we wanted it to be better, but once you get in, anything can happen.”

Of course, they haven’t clinched a spot, and Kobe Bryant could help ruin the Clippers’ postseason plans.

Bryant scored at least 50 points in four consecutive games last month, averaging 56.2 points during that stretch, and leads the league in scoring. Only the late Wilt Chamberlain has had more consecutive 50-point games than Bryant, accomplishing the feat in seven games during the 1961-62 season. Bryant averaged 34.5 points in the Lakers’ first two games against the Clippers.

“Obviously, the big thing for them is if Kobe is playing well,” Chris Kaman said. “If he’s shooting the ball well, you can get into big trouble because he can almost beat you by himself sometimes. We’ve got to try to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible and make him take bad shots, but I don’t know if he can take a bad shot.

“To me, he’s the best player in the NBA. It’s a tough thing to do, to try to stop him, but you have to try. We have two games left against those guys and we’re right there, fighting for the seventh or eighth spot. They’re not doing as well as they were at the beginning of the year and we’re both fighting. It’s going to be tough and fun.”

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Times staff writer Mike Bresnahan contributed to this report.