Clippers at Cavaliers
The Western Conference is packed tight enough that the Los Angeles Clippers still have a shot at homecourt advantage in a first-round series thanks to a strong run of play that includes wins in three straight games and eight of the last nine. The Clippers will try to stay hot when they open a four-game road trip at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Los Angeles, which will face three sub-.500 teams on the trip before finishing up at NBA-best Milwaukee next Thursday, is not focusing on its ultimate position in the Western Conference and is just trying to improve. "We're just pushing, just winning," Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters after a 115-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. "We've just got to keep winning games. We don't even look at positioning we just look at if you keep winning, positioning will happen and then at the very end I guarantee one of you guys (in the media) will tell us who we're playing and where we're playing, and we'll be ready for that." The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in each of the last four seasons - winning one title - but are a different team since LeBron James left last summer and are already eliminated from postseason contention. Cleveland isn't laying down despite its position in the standings and knocked off the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks 107-102 on Wednesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FS Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (42-30): Rivers squashed any notion that he would be moving offices to become the head coach of the Lakers this summer by revealing before Tuesday's game that he and owner Steve Ballmer agreed on a long-term extension to keep him with the Clippers. "I'm going nowhere, I can tell you that," Rivers told reporters. "Straight. Up front. I'm going to be here until Steve says, 'Get out.' I plan on being here a long time. As far as a workplace, this is a great place to work." Rivers will get to oversee the continued development of rookie guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Tuesday's victory and is averaging 14.1 points on 55.7 percent shooting over the last 10 contests.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (19-53): Wednesday's triumph was the second straight for Cleveland, which opened the three-game homestand with a 126-119 win over the playoff-hopeful Detroit Pistons on Monday. Rookie point guard Collin Sexton scored a team-high 25 points in Wednesday's win for his seventh consecutive 20-plus outing and averaging 26.3 points in that span. "It just shows that the kid is starting to turn the corner," Cavaliers coach Larry Drew told reporters of Sexton. "He's really putting together some good games against some really good teams."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers PF Montrezl Harrell reached 20 points in each of the last five games and recorded three double-doubles in that span.
2. Cavaliers PF Kevin Love left Wednesday's game with a head injury and is day-to-day.
3. The teams split two meetings last season, with Los Angeles dropping a 118-113 overtime decision in its lone trip to Cleveland.