Clippers at Pistons
The Los Angeles Clippers will put a perfect road record on the line Friday, when they pay a visit to the Detroit Pistons. A 124-104 win at Dallas the last time out gave the Clippers a 7-0 mark away from home and a 14-2 overall record, both of which are the best in franchise history.
"I honestly didn't know we had 14 wins," Los Angeles guard Chris Paul told reporters after Wednesday's win. "I know we have two losses. But for us, when you've been in this league for a while, it's not necessarily about the wins. It's about how you're playing and about the spirit." Against the Mavericks, the level of play was just fine as seven players hit double figures - led by Austin Rivers' 22 points off the bench - and the Clippers turned over the ball just 10 times in the opener of their six-game road trip. The Pistons snapped a four-game slide with Wednesday's 107-84 victory over Miami at home. Andre Drummond recorded 18 points and 15 rebounds in a matchup with the Heat's star center Hassan Whiteside as Detroit improved to 6-2 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (14-2): Los Angeles' depth proved itself in the win over the Mavericks, during which star forward Blake Griffin was held to a season-low 12 points while committing four turnovers in a rare off-night. Rivers was 7-of-11 from the field, Marreese Speights tied a season high with 16 points and set another with 12 rebounds while Jamal Crawford chipped in 15 points as part of a 65-point effort for the bench. Paul played 26 turnover-free minutes and is averaging 8.6 assists against 1.4 turnovers on the road.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (7-9): Kentavious Caldwell-Pope recorded 22 points in the win over Miami, and his play has gone hand-in-hand with Detroit's home and road splits. He is shooting 48.9 percent at the Palace while going 42.1 percent from beyond the arc, but those numbers drop to 33.3 and 32.6 away from home. Detroit expects to get a boost soon in the return of standout guard Reggie Jackson, who is increasing his on-court activity as he works his way back from a knee injury and could be in the lineup early next month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won 11 straight meetings and six in a row at Detroit.
2. Rivers hit 6-of-7 3-pointers in Dallas after going 1-of-9 over his previous seven games.
3. Drummond has registered three straight double-doubles and ranks fifth in the NBA with 10.