Clippers at Thunder
The Los Angeles Clippers' season-high eight-game road trip has taken a turn for the worse, something the squad will try to fix Sunday at Oklahoma City. After taking two of three to start the trip, the Clippers have lost three straight, including a meltdown at Cleveland when they were given five technicals in an embarrassing 123-107 setback Friday in Toronto. The Clippers led the Raptors by 20 early on before a woeful defensive effort led to their first three-game slide under coach Doc Rivers.
"After [the first quarter], we just never defended again," Rivers told reporters. "We've got to be a better defensive team than we were tonight." Thunder head coach Scott Brooks may be whistling the same tune after his team gave up 116 points - its third-highest total this season - in a loss to New Orleans at home on Friday, falling on Anthony Davis' 3-pointer at the buzzer to spoil a career-high 48-point effort by Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was injured after only nine minutes in a visit to the Clippers on Oct. 30, when Blake Griffin scored 23 points to lead Los Angeles to a win in its season opener.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (33-18): The rough road trip has also featured the controversial comments by point guard Chris Paul, who was fined $25,000 for his public criticism of referee Lauren Holtkamp following the loss to Cleveland. Paul has been one of a few constants on the excursion, however, scoring at least 20 points in five of the six games and shooting at least 50 percent in four of the contests. Paul is enjoying his best season from beyond the arc (39.4 percent) as a Clipper, which certainly helps as long as sharpshooter J.J. Redick (back spasms) remains sidelined.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (25-25): The loss to the Pelicans seemed to mirror the season as a whole for Oklahoma City, which is chasing a playoff seed despite a ton of injuries and wild ups and downs, as evidenced by three game-tying free throws by Westbrook with 1.2 seconds left and then Davis' dagger moments later. "Teams have gone through it before," said superstar Kevin Durant, who returned from a two-game layoff due to a toe injury to score 27 points. "We just have to keep our heads up, keep fighting, keep pushing." Durant was not on a minutes restriction but struggled down the stretch, going 2-of-11 in the fourth quarter in his first home game since Jan. 16.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers are 20-7 against Western Conference opponents.
2. Westbrook has made 45-of-48 free throws over a five-game stretch.
3. Thunder C Steven Adams is 16-of-22 from the floor over the last four games.