Clippers at Hornets
The Los Angeles Clippers found an extra gear in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and surged to a 119-115 win at the New York Knicks to snap a three-game slide. The Clippers will try to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since Chris Paul went down on Jan. 16 when they visit the stumbling Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Paul (thumb surgery) is still a month away from returning and Los Angeles is just 3-7 over the last 10 games without him in the lineup, but power forward Blake Griffin is stepping up his game and scored a season-high 32 points in Wednesday's win. Griffin, who recorded a triple-double in Monday's 118-109 loss at Toronto, is averaging 28.2 points on 54.3 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in five games this month. The Hornets don't have anyone matching that kind of production of late and will likely throw Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at Griffin defensively while trying to find a way to limit the turnovers on the other end of the floor. Charlotte gave up 27 points off 22 turnovers in a 107-95 home loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, which marked its eighth setback in the last nine games.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (32-21): Los Angeles trailed in the fourth quarter on Wednesday before getting some rare stops on the defensive end. The Clippers are surrendering an average of 118.4 points over the last 10 games after a string of five consecutive contests holding opponents under 100 points before Paul went down. "Listen, that’s the defense we played all year, the last five minutes of the game," coach Doc Rivers told reporters of the closing minutes on Wednesday. "We waited long enough. It was an AAU game in the first half."
ABOUT THE HORNETS (24-29): Charlotte snapped a seven-game slide with a 111-107 win over the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and committed only seven turnovers in that game before getting sloppy with the ball on Thursday. "It’s pretty simple," Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "If you’re going to turn the ball over 22 times, you’re going to lose every single time. There are certain things in this league that you can’t do against certain teams like a team that’s as talented as (the Rockets) are. Then you give yourself no chance to win. That was it." It doesn't help that All-Star guard Kemba Walker is averaging 14 points - down from a season mark of 22.5 - over the last four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets C Cody Zeller aggravated a quad contusion on Thursday and is day-to-day.
2. Clippers C DeAndre Jordan scored 28 points on Wednesday after being held to single figures in each of the previous five contests.
3. Los Angeles took the last four in the series.