Schedule has been tough but Clippers have almost made it look easy during 12-2 start

The Clippers just completed a daunting stretch of 13 games in 21 days, and they did more than just survive it. They thrived.

No other NBA team has played as many games over that span, and no other team has matched the Clippers’ league-best 12-2 record.

Besides the physical drain of playing so often in a compressed period, the Clippers have faced the mental challenge of maintaining focus without the benefit of any practices during this time.

After the Clippers beat the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night in the second game of yet another back-to-back, guard J.J. Redick said it has been “the hardest scheduling stretch, for sure, that I can remember in my career.”

“Mentally it’s not hard because you’re never turned off,” Redick said. “Sometimes when you have those long breaks during the season, you might turn yourself off a little bit. It’s the physical part. [Friday night at Sacramento], I get back to my locker after the game and it’s 10:33 when I look at my phone. I expected to be in my bed by midnight. We didn’t land [in L.A.] until well after 1 o’clock in the morning [Saturday]. Those type of things are what makes it hard, I think.”

The Clippers began the season at Portland on Oct. 27 and had two days off before their home opener Oct. 30. They practiced on Oct. 29 and haven’t practiced since, because of their grueling schedule.

The schedule won’t let up anytime soon, either. The Clippers play the Toronto Raptors on Monday night at Staples Center and then embark upon a six-game, 11-day trip.

When they return home, the Clippers play the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on Dec. 4. After that, they will finally get two days off with no games, on Dec. 5 and 6 — and then they host the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 7.

“It just catches up to you at times,” guard Jamal Crawford said. “At times when you see some slippage, you kind of know where it’s coming from. Sometimes it’s practice and sometimes it’s just the fatigue. It’s a lot of games. I think we played like 13 games in like 20, 21 days. That’s a lot. That’s crazy. We will be going six weeks without back-to-back days off.

“That’s when you kind of notice it. Not like at that moment, but you see some slippage in little extra effort plays. When you have to grind it out, that’s when you notice, ‘Man, we’ve played a lot of games in a short amount of time.’ But we’re just doing what we do. And we’re going to keep doing it.”

Without those practices, the Clippers haven’t kept sharp. Their defensive play has slipped some. Their offensive execution hasn’t been as efficient.

And the “emotional team,” as Chris Paul has described them, has been on display in recent games. Last week Crawford and Paul were issued technical fouls in the fourth quarter of games against Memphis and Chicago, respectively.

“We have pros, guys that take care of their bodies and do their work because we haven’t had an opportunity to practice,” Paul said. “It’s a mind-set. None of us are down. We pick each other up and it’s fun.”

UP NEXT

CLIPPERS VS. TORONTO

When: Monday, 7:30 p.m. PST.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 570, 1330.

Records: Clippers 12-2, Raptors 8-4.

Record vs. Raptors: 0-2 (2015-16 season).

Update: After a cold start to the season, J.J. Redick is now on a hot streak, making 54.9% (28 for 51) of his three-point attempts in his last nine games. Overall Redick has shot 47.9% from three-point range, third-best in the NBA. Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan leads the league in scoring, averaging 33 points per game. He’s shooting 50.3% from the field.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner