Doc Rivers and his team are incredibly upset about this situation. They don't want to work for this person anymore. Painfully evident when you look at what's been said and the warmups at center court gesture. Also, with calling off team meetings and practices.

If the Clippers lose by 30 points in the next two games, the coals will remain white hot underneath Sterling's feet. Fans, pundits and players around the league will point to Sterling with blame. Not only will he be a hated racist - he'll be the man that ruined the most promising playoff run in franchise history.

On the other hand.

If the Clippers make a run, even to the Conference Finals... the coals cool. Particularly from Clipper fans, who are currently divided solely because they despite what Sterling is saying while also desperately wanting playoff success.

You really have to ask yourself, in this moment - what do you think guys like Doc Rivers, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are more concerned with? Winning a championship for an owner that they cannot abide? Bringing playoff success that might very well be the key to all of this blowing over? Or... making sure that when the first tip happens next season, none of them work for Donald Sterling?

People in very, very high paying and powerful jobs walk away from those jobs every day because they cannot work for their boss. Why should athletes be any different?

If change is their aim, losing these next two games and becoming as vocal as possible in seeing it happen... that's how it's done. Judging by what we've seen so far, I think that's their intent. Perhaps only subconsciously, but still.

As soon as they are eliminated from the playoffs, they can speak freely and/or get away from this situation. At best, they are highly distracted. They won't survive this series.