Clippers at Nets
The Los Angeles Clippers aim to record their fourth straight win and sixth in the past seven games when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The Clippers are beginning a three-game road trip against a Nets team that snapped a three-game slide on Friday.
Los Angeles is playing with a high level of confidence after registering three straight home wins - overtime victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, followed by a win over the San Antonio Spurs. "We feel like we're a good basketball team despite what people are talking about," sixth man Lou Williams told reporters, referencing the low expectations placed on the club. Brooklyn posted a 115-104 victory over the Washington Wizards for its first win since losing standout shooting guard Caris LeVert to a foot injury on Monday. "You want to confirm we can still be a good team," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "We love Caris, we miss him but we have some good players in that locker room."
TV: 6 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (9-5): Williams is averaging 22 points over the past seven games, scoring 20 or more on six occasions. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner had 23 points in the victory over San Antonio on Thursday after tallying 25 in the triumph over Golden State earlier in the week. Williams (19.4) ranks second on the squad in scoring behind forward Tobias Harris (20.2), who has scored 15 or more in a career-best 14 straight games while scoring 20 or more points on eight occasions.
ABOUT THE NETS (7-9): Guard Spencer Dinwiddie scored a season-high 25 points and also had eight assists off the bench to help pick up the scoring slack caused by LeVert's injury while point guard D'Angelo Russell added 23 points. Atkinson said he'll likely tinker with the lineups while trying to figure out how best to proceed and one of the options is to consider promoting Dinwiddie into the starting lineup. Center Jarrett Allen contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Wizards after missing two games due to illness.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers won both of last season's meetings and have prevailed in eight of the last 11 matchups.
2. Los Angeles SG Avery Bradley (ankle) could miss his sixth straight game.
3. Brooklyn F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle) will likely sit out for the second consecutive contest.