Randy,
Don't get me wrong; I agree with you. "Lose now to avoid..." isn't SPORTSmanship, it's GAMESmanship, and, ultimately, is self-defeating.
But we are talking the Clippers, here - as in "What's the big deal about a loss here and there, if it gets us more money on the bottom line, by getting additional games?"
Never forget the mindset of Donald $terling.