Clippers at Bucks
The Los Angeles Clippers will take an eight-game winning streak to Milwaukee on Saturday when they continue their four-game road trip against the Bucks. Milwaukee is riding a four-game win streak of its own. The Clippers held off Charlotte 100-94 on Wednesday, a day after opening the road trip with a 94-89 win at Chicago, to match the best 22-game start in franchise history.
To keep it going, Los Angeles will have to knock off a hot Milwaukee team that received a season-high 33 points from Monta Ellis in holding off Cleveland 90-86 on Friday. The victory gave the Bucks their longest win streak of the season. Milwaukee has won three straight meetings in Milwaukee, but the Clippers won the only encounter last season in Los Angeles.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket, Fox Sports Wisconsin
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (16-6): The Clippers feed off their defense, averaging a league-best 21.8 points off turnovers. Point guard Chris Paul leads the way with an NBA-leading 2.59 steals per game. Paul (16.3 points, 9.1 assists) is also the catalyst at the offensive end for a strong inside-outside duo of Blake Griffin (18.2 points, 8.9 rebounds) and reserve guard Jamal Crawford (17.1 points).
ABOUT THE BUCKS (12-9): Milwaukee also has been tough at the defensive end, but it boasts to dynamic scorers in Ellis (19.3 points, 5.6 assists) and Brandon Jennings (17.2 points, 6.2 assists). The only other player averaging double-digit scoring is forward Mike Dunleavy (10.8 points), who missed Friday's game with a bone bruise in his left knee. Larry Sanders (7.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 blocks) has developed into a force in the paint at both ends.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Los Angeles' eight-game winning streak is the longest for the franchise since the Buffalo Braves won 11 straight during the 1974-75 season.
2. The Bucks have scored 100 or more points just once in their past 11 games after doing so in five of their first 10.
3. The Bucks lead the league with 7.57 blocked shots per game, while the Clippers rank seventh with 6.41 blocks per contest.