Thunder at Clippers
THE STORY: There was a stretch this season when Eric Gordon was playing as well as any shooting guard in the NBA. Then his season was interrupted by a wrist injury and he hasn’t been able to fully regain his groove. The third-year guard would like to finish the campaign strong and he’ll look for his second consecutive 20-point outing when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Gordon is averaging a career-best 22.9 points but was up-and-down in six games during the second half of March. He had games of 32 and 29 points but also had four games of 17 or fewer points, including outputs of 10 and seven points. Gordon and Blake Griffin give the Clipper a terrific combo entering next season.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSOK, FSPT.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (29-47): Los Angeles lost to Phoenix 111-98 on Friday even though the Suns didn’t have Steve Nash, who was ill with the flu. The loss was the second straight and sixth in nine games for the Clippers. Gordon scored 21 points and Griffin had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Griffin has four double-doubles in five games after going seven straight games without one over a two-week span. Center DeAndre Jordon has made 7 of 9 shots over the past three games and is shooting 68.7 percent for the season. Saturday’s game is the Clippers’ next-to-last home contest. Los Angeles goes on a four-game road swing to Memphis, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston before closing the season at home against Memphis on April 13.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (50-25): Oklahoma City is 0-1 in April after going 14-2 in March. Kevin Durant had 25 points and 11 rebounds for his 10th straight 20-point outing during Friday’s 98-91 loss to Portland. However, Durant made just 9 of 24 field-goal attempts. James Harden added 21 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s scoring output was its lowest since losing 90-87 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 27. Forward Nick Collison was scoreless against Portland in his second game back from an ankle injury. Oklahoma City is four games ahead of Denver in the Northwest Division with seven games to play. The Thunder and Clippers face each other again Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Harden is averaging 19 points over the last three games. Griffin is averaging 24.4 points and 13.8 rebounds over the past five games. Oklahoma City guard Thabo Sefolosha has made just 7 of 22 shots over the last four outings. Clippers guard Mo Williams is shooting just 35.7 percent over the last three contests.
KEY STATISTIC: Griffin has 58 double-doubles, third in the NBA behind Minnesota’s Kevin Love and Orlando’s Dwight Howard. Oklahoma City’s double-double leader is guard Russell Westbrook with 31. Westbrook has just six double-digit rebounding efforts.
SEASON SERIES: The teams have split two meetings with each winning on its homecourt. The Clippers won 107-92 on Nov. 3 and the Thunder posted a 111-88 victory on Feb. 22.
KEY INJURIES: OKLAHOMA CITY: F Nick Collison (ankle). LOS ANGELES: C Chris Kaman (illness); F Ryan Gomes (knee).
LAST WORD: “You’re going to have nights like that. We have to stay positive and let this one go.” – Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant after making just 4 of 17 shots over the final three quarters of Friday’s loss to Portland.