Collins seems pretty confident in the Clippers' talent down the stretch.
The Los Angeles Clippers needed a win in the worst way, and they got one in dramatic fashion on Saturday night.
Los Angeles outlasted the Dallas Mavericks 138-131 in overtime, snapping a four-game losing streak that had put their postseason hopes in serious jeopardy.
After the game, John Collins shared a message about what this team needs to keep doing if they want to make a real playoff run.
"I feel like we have a team that can compete with anybody and we just have to believe and treat the game as it should be," Collins told BJ Matthews of The Peach Basket. "I feel like the game will respect us on the backend."
It was the type of confidence that has defined Collins throughout this wild season, and his play has backed it up.
The 28-year-old forward is averaging 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the field, making him one of the more efficient players on the roster.
Over his last month of action, those numbers have jumped even higher with averages closer to 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, according to CBS Sports.
Collins Has Been a Difference-Maker
What makes Collins so valuable to the Clippers right now goes beyond the scoring.
He has become a legitimate two-way contributor who brings energy and toughness to a team that desperately needs both.
In January, he put together a 25-point, four-steal, four-block performance against the Detroit Pistons that made him just the ninth player in NBA history to hit those marks in a single game.
That kind of effort shows up in ways that don't always show on the stat sheet, but his teammates and coaches have noticed.
When Kawhi Leonard is healthy and playing at an elite level alongside Collins, the Clippers have one of the more versatile frontcourt combinations in the West.
Collins was initially mentioned as a trade candidate earlier in the season when the Clippers were stumbling through a brutal 6-21 start, but the team held onto him and he has rewarded that decision with consistent, high-level play.
His ability to finish at the rim alongside Kawhi Leonard while also stretching the floor with his three-point shooting has given head coach Tyronn Lue plenty of lineup flexibility.
The Bigger Picture for the Clippers
The win in Dallas moved Los Angeles to 35-36 on the season and kept them tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
After a historically bad start that at one point had them 15 games below .500, the Clippers have been one of the best teams in the league since mid-December.
But the margin for error is essentially gone with just 11 games remaining, and Leonard's recent ankle sprain adds another layer of concern.
Darius Garland's historic 41-point night in Dallas was a reminder of how explosive this team can be when things are clicking, and Collins believes the recipe is simple.
Trust the process, respect the game, and the results will follow.
If the Clippers can stay healthy and keep playing with that kind of belief, they have the talent to make things very interesting in the Western Conference over the final two weeks of the season.