Clippers at Kings
The Los Angeles Clippers look to bounce back from a draining loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Los Angeles lost the up-and-down game to Cleveland 126-121 on Friday and will be hoping most of the players have the proper amount of energy left after an emotional game. Sacramento has lost 13 of its last 18 games after falling 95-83 to the Miami Heat on Friday and will be without second-leading scorer Rudy Gay (knee) for the second straight night.
Sacramento won the lone meeting against the Clippers this season as center DeMarcus Cousins had 34 points and 17 rebounds and Gay scored 25 in a 98-92 road victory Nov. 2. The Kings are 2-3 as they wrap up a six-game homestand while Los Angeles has played just 16 road games, compiling a 9-7 record. Power forward Blake Griffin had a strong performance in the loss to Cleveland with 34 points and 10 rebounds and was one of six players to score in double digits.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (26-14): Center DeAndre Jordan continued his strong play with 19 points and 12 rebounds against the Cavaliers and his 7-of-8 shooting performance was only his third-best of the month. Jordan made all eight of his shots two nights earlier against the Portland Trail Blazers and was 7-of-7 against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 5. Jordan has five double-doubles and six double-digit rebounding games in January while shooting 77.1 percent from the field.
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-23): With Gay (20.4 points) out of the lineup, Sacramento needed someone to step up and knock down some shots, but each member of the starting five shot worse than 50 percent against the Heat. Cousins was a porous 4-of-12 while contributing 17 points and 11 rebounds and also committed eight of the Kings’ 15 turnovers. Gay was injured in Tuesday’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks and there isn’t a timetable for his return yet.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won each of their last three visits to Sacramento.
2. Los Angeles G Austin Rivers – son of coach Doc Rivers – was scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting in his team debut.
3. Kings F Carl Landry (wrist) is expected to miss his second straight game.