Clippers at Cavaliers
THE STORY: The Clippers will begin life without Chauncey Billups on Wednesday when they’re longest trip of the season continues with a stop in Cleveland. While the acquisition of Chris Paul may have grabbed all the headlines, it was Billups who provided so much heart on and off the floor. He was lost for the season Monday night to a torn Achilles tendon, leaving the Clippers to try and continue surprising the rest of the league without their third leading scorer. The Cavaliers know all about injuries, too. They lost by 16 at Miami on Tuesday in part because they were down three key players and will likely be without them Wednesday, too. The Cavaliers’ top two shooting guards (Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson) are down with injuries and rookie Tristan Thompson has a sprained ankle. All three are doubtful to play, leaving the Cavaliers’ once-robust bench paper thin and struggling to contribute.
TV: 7 p.m., Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Ohio
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (15-7): Randy Foye will replace Billups in the starting lineup. Mo Williams was another logical candidate, but he is battling his own knee and foot injuries and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro likes the scoring punch Williams (14.5 ppg, 3.8 apg) provides off the bench. Foye was a starter last season and is averaging 7.3 points in 20 minutes per game this season, but he’s shooting just 39 percent.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (9-14): Wednesday’s game begins a nine-game homestand that will take the Cavs through the All-Star break and to the end of the month. It comes at a great time, since Cleveland is tied with Toronto and Indiana for fewest home games in the league. A number of players are convinced they’re a playoff contender if they can get healthy and get hot at home. The schedule will allow that, now they need bodies to heal. They begin the day a half-game out of the No. 8 seed in the East.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Williams was traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers at the trade deadline last season in the deal that ultimately landed Cleveland top overall pick Kyrie Irving.
2. The Clippers are 2-0 on this grueling trip, which includes six games in nine days. They already have wins over Washington and Orlando.
3. Irving has climbed to sixth among point guards in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game.