Clippers at Bucks
The Los Angeles Clippers have controlled the series against Milwaukee and look to defeat the host Bucks on Friday for the ninth time in the past 10 meetings on Friday. The Clippers are outscoring the Bucks by an average of 12.2 during the stretch, which includes two victories last season.
Los Angeles will be aiming to rebound from a horrid effort in which they were blasted 122-103 at home by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, giving up 108 points in the first three quarters and getting outrebounded 62-36. "I think the concern is probably our energy, which is something that should never be up for question," point guard Chris Paul said afterward. "We just have to play better." Milwaukee dropped three of its last four games after suffering a 110-98 home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled with just 15 points against the Nuggets and is averaging 12 points on 9-of-26 shooting over the past two games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (36-24): Los Angeles has lost to the top three teams in the Western Conference -- Golden State, San Antonio and Houston -- since play resumed after the All-Star break. "It's not one thing that will change that's going to win all these games for us," power forward Blake Griffin told reporters. "We've got to be better in a lot of different ways." Griffin tallied 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting against the Rockets after averaging 36 on 24-of-43 shooting over the previous two games.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (26-33): Milwaukee sits two games behind the eighth-place Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoff race but coach Jason Kidd isn't convinced all the players get what is at stake. "In our locker room right now, we don't understand the urgency - we're young - of what we're fighting for and that's a playoff spot," Kidd said after the loss to Denver. "This is growing pains. This is something we have to go through, the process of understanding we don't have that many games left. And our energy and effort has to be high." One guy expected to help with the playoff push is shooting guard Khris Middleton, who scored a season-best 21 points against the Nuggets in his seventh game of the season after returning from a severe hamstring injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers allowed an average of 92.5 points while winning both of last season's meetings.
2. Milwaukee PG Matthew Dellavedova was 7-of-9 from the field against Denver after being 3-of-22 over the previous three games.
3. Paul is just 9-of-31 shooting while recording back-to-back double-doubles.