Clippers at Nuggets
The Los Angeles Clippers are imploding after a stretch of three straight
losses and seven of nine. Los Angeles attempts to end the skid and
relieve some tension when it visits the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 29 points during Sunday's lackluster 91-80 home loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Los Angeles players were much more vociferous after the contest, when under-performing reserve forward Josh Smith reportedly got into a heated shouting match with an unidentified assistant coach. "It's (like any) locker room after you lose and play like that," coach Doc Rivers said afterward while attempting to downplay the discord. "Guys are upset. That's about it." Denver also has lost three straight games - including a 118-105 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday - but has avoided postgame locker-room meltdowns.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (6-7): Power forward Blake Griffin was among the players who disappeared on Sunday as he was limited to a season-low nine points while Los Angeles posted a season low for points. It was only the second time Griffin has scored under 20 points this season, and he was pretty disappointed in himself and with the play of the team. "We're pretty frustrated," Griffin told reporters. "It's been three in a row, so I think it's pretty normal to be frustrated. But we can't let that frustration affect us negatively moving forward."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (6-8): Denver is 0-2 on a four-game homestand and allowed Golden State to shoot 15-of-29 from 3-point range in Sunday's loss. That rates as a huge problem in the eyes of Nuggets coach Michael Malone as his squad was 4-of-15 from behind the arc and is shooting 32.7 from long range for the season. "Every single night, we give up 12 to 15 3-point shots," Malone told reporters. "It's tough to make that difference up because we are not a 3-point shooting team."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won the past three meetings and 11 of the last 17.
2. Smith is 6-for-18 shooting over the last four games and has a season percentage of 35.6.
3. Denver PF Kenneth Faried (ankle) is questionable and missed Sunday's game against Golden State.