Clippers at Magic
THE STORY:
With the sting of a four-game losing streak in the rearview mirror, the
Orlando Magic looked a lot more like an Eastern Conference contender in
winning three in a row last week. With three straight games at home
against strong teams starting Monday, the Magic will get a chance to
prove that they can score when it matters and avoid lengthy in-game
slumps. First up is the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the teams thought
to be on Dwight Howard’s trade wish list. The Clippers don’t look like
they need Howard at the moment and are in fact welcoming a different new
player into the lineup Monday, when Kenyon Martin makes his first
appearance. Martin should only add to a front line that just got
finished outrebounding the Washington Wizards by 21.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), Sun Sports (Orlando)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (14-7):
Los Angeles has won five of its last six, averaging 106.6 points in the
victories. The fast-break highlights of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul
will be tested during the rest of a six-game road trip that includes
visits to strong defensive teams Orlando, Philadelphia and Dallas. The
Clippers are enduring a stretch of 14 of 18 games on the road, beginning
with a 107-81 trashing of the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The
victory pushed Los Angeles to 11-0 when allowing less than 95 points.
The defense has been slower to coalesce than the offense, allowing an
average of 97.0 points.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (15-9): Orlando has taken nine straight from the
Clippers and has won the last 10 in Florida. The Magic should be happy
to be home after a strange trip, when they were forced to spend the
night in Cincinnati before an 85-81 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Indianapolis was out of hotel rooms because of the Super Bowl. The
Pacers began a stretch of four straight against potential playoff teams,
with the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks up next.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Martin, who was playing in China, averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Denver Nuggets last season.
2. Griffin put up 18.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in two losses to Orlando in 2010-11.
3. Magic guard Jameer Nelson is expected to return to the lineup Monday after missing five straight games with a concussion.