Wizards at Clippers
The Washington Wizards got off to a solid start on their five-game road trip with an overtime victory at Portland before stumbling in the last two contests at Golden State and Sacramento. The Wizards will try to recover and pull even on the trip when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Washington was crushed 144-122 by the defending-champion Warriors and could not find their way around the Kings while allowing 37 fourth-quarter points in a 116-112 setback. "Sometimes we have our own agendas on the floor, whether it’s complaining about shots, complaining about playing time, complaining about whatever it may be," Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "We're worried about the wrong (expletive), and that’s not where our focus needs to be and it’s just going to continue to hurt us." The Clippers are developing a new identity with former franchise icons Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan scattered around the league and are off to a strong start with wins over the Thunder and the Houston Rockets (twice). "It’s just who we are," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters after watching six of his players score in double figures during a 133-113 win over Houston on Friday. "We don’t have that one-guy team. We have a team and it’s fun to coach."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (1-4): Washington is allowing an average of 122.8 points in the early going, and the selfishness that the players are referencing is evident on the defensive end. "That's the proof in the pudding. Everybody on their own agenda," Wall told reporters, echoing Beal. "We showed glimpses when we do stuff as a team. We show how good we can be and then we go back to trying to do it individually, and that’s mostly on the defensive end. Not helping each other out, not team rebounding, and that’s what’s killing us." Beal (24.2 points) and Wall (21.2) are doing their part on the offensive end while former Clipper Austin Rivers is struggling to find his way with his new team while averaging 7.8 points on 39.5 percent shooting.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (3-2): Tobias Harris (21.8 points) and Danilo Gallinari (20.4) are providing consistent scoring but power forward Montrezl Harrell was the star of Friday's win over the Rockets. The 24-year-old Louisville product scored a career-high 30 points in 28 minutes off the bench while going 8-of-13 from the field and 14-of-15 from the free-throw line. Reserve shooting guard Lou Williams, who averaged a career-high 22.6 points last season, got off to a slow start but broke out for a season-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting Friday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Washington C Dwight Howard (buttocks) has yet to make his team debut and is not expected to play on Sunday.
2. Los Angeles PF Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) sat out Friday and is questionable for Sunday.
3. The home team took each of the five meetings.