Pelicans at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers could not match the force of Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons in his return on Saturday, leading to a 109-104 setback in the opener of a four-game homestand. The Clippers will try to bounce back and avoid a third consecutive loss when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
Setting aside the emotion of welcoming back one of the best players in franchise history on Saturday, Los Angeles outshot Detroit from the field (48.6 percent to 43.5) and from beyond the arc (50 percent to 43.2) but was outrebounded 53-42 and knocked down seven fewer 3-pointers. The Clippers are trying to remain among the elite teams in the West and need to take advantage of a homestand that features visits from Utah Jazz and the Golden State Warriors after the Pelicans. New Orleans looked great in beating up the likes of Cleveland and Memphis during a three-game winning streak but dropped a 110-106 decision at Minnesota on Saturday to open a five-game road trip. The Pelicans are 5-17 on the road and will not play back-to-back games at home again until February 12 and 14, leading into the All-Star break.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (20-23): Superstar forward Anthony Davis is doing his best to keep New Orleans relevant in the loaded Western Conference and is averaging 34.7 points on 59.3 percent shooting over the last three games. Davis (30 points and 14 rebounds) and Julius Randle (22 points and 11 boards) both recorded a double-double in Saturday's loss, but the Pelicans scored just 17 points in the fourth quarter after totaling 89 in the first three periods. New Orleans struggled from beyond the arc (5-of-25), with guards Jrue Holiday (0-of-4), E'Twaun Moore (0-of-3) and forward Nikola Mirotic (1-of-6) having trouble getting started from long range.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (24-18): The trade of Griffin last season and the departure of DeAndre Jordan in the offseason left Los Angeles without a true star on the roaster, and the team is relying on its depth in 2018-19. The reserves outscored the starters in Saturday's loss with Montrezl Harrell (21 points) and Lou Williams (22) highlighting the bench. The Clippers could use more out of starting forward Tobias Harris, who averages 20.8 points but was held to 11 on 4-of-9 shooting against the Pistons.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers starting SG Avery Bradley is averaging five points on 30.8 percent shooting in six games this month.
2. Holiday is shooting 56.8 percent from the floor in five games this month.
3. The teams split the first two meetings this season - both in New Orleans.