Clippers at Rockets
The Los Angeles Clippers are struggling with a season-worst four consecutive losses and they will attempt to halt the skid when they visit the Houston Rockets on Friday. Los Angeles is just 8-10 since winning 14 of its first 16 games while the Rockets are soaring with a 13-2 mark in December.
Houston ranks second in the NBA in scoring at 113.8 points per game and scored 100 or more points in 19 consecutive contests. The Rockets possess the third-best record in the Western Conference - the Clippers are fourth - and are 11-3 at home as they open a four-game homestand. Los Angeles began a three-game road trip with a disappointing 102-98 loss to New Orleans - a game in which the Pelicans had a 29-2 edge in fast-break points. Clippers point guard Chris Paul scored 21 points in 31 minutes while returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (22-12): Center DeAndre Jordan collected a season-best 25 rebounds to go with 13 points against the Pelicans in a strong outing one day after being involved in a car accident. The incident happened in a Los Angeles suburb as he was en route to the airport on Tuesday, and Jordan was sporting a bandage on his left forearm. "We can't afford for anybody else to be out," Jordan told reporters. "I'm just very fortunate that I'm OK and that everybody else that was involved was OK."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (24-9): Houston has two games remaining in December and winning them both would give the Rockets 15 wins to match the franchise mark for most victories in a month (Nov. 1996). The Rockets are averaging 119.1 points during the month and made 99 more 3-pointers than the opposition. Point guard James Harden is leading the charge with December averages of 26.5 points, 11.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds while backup shooting guard Eric Gordon is averaging 19 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams are meeting for the first time this season after splitting four meetings in 2015-16.
2. Houston connected on 15 or more 3-pointers a club-record 19 times - the NBA mark is 27 by Golden State (2015-16).
3. Los Angeles SG J.J. Redick (hamstring) could return after a two-game absence.