Wizards at Clippers
One night after taking down one of the league's best home teams, the Washington Wizards face another on Saturday in the Los Angeles Clippers. Washington entered Friday's game against Denver with an eight-game road losing streak and a 1-16 record away from home. But rookie Bradley Beal scored 23 points to lead six players in double figures as the Wizards handed the Nuggets their third loss in 18 home contests.
Washington still owns the league's worst record at 8-29 despite having won four of its last five games. It now faces the team with the NBA's second-best mark as Los Angeles is one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacific Division-leading Clippers return home, where they are 18-4, from a perfect three-game road trip that concluded with a 90-77 victory at Minnesota on Thursday. Los Angeles has won six of seven since suffering back-to-back losses at Denver and Golden State that followed a franchise-record 17-game winning streak.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN (Washington), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (8-29): Guard Jordan Crawford returned to action Friday after missing four games with a sore left ankle. The team's leading scorer was 3-of-6 from the field and finished with eight points in 17 minutes off the bench. Washington registered 26 assists against the Nuggets after recording 32 in each of its previous two games. Beal, who entered Friday averaging 18.8 points over seven games this month, has had a hot hand from long range. The 19-year-old was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc after sinking a franchise rookie-record six 3-pointers against Sacramento on Wednesday. He has made 26 3-pointers in eight games in January.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (31-9): Los Angeles is just 35-71 in the all-time series against Washington but has won each of the last seven meetings and four straight at home. The Clippers have not lost to the Wizards at home since dropping a 91-89 decision on Feb. 13, 2008. Guard Chris Paul has missed three straight games with a bruised right kneecap. Over the last two seasons, Los Angeles is 6-3 with Paul out of the lineup. Forward Blake Griffin is 7-for-7 from the free-throw line over his last two contests, marking the first time in his career he's gone consecutive games without a miss.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards are 1-1 on their five-game road trip after ending a five-game skid in Denver.
2. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro is 67-33 over his last 100 games, the fifth-best record during that span.
3. Los Angeles F Lamar Odom needs one double-double to become the 13th active player with at least 300.
PREDICTION: Clippers 115, Wizards 100.