Preview: New Orleans At L.A. Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, November 27, 2015
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NBA this season and look to get back to the .500 mark when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Los Angeles is slumping with four losses in its last five games and suffered a dreadful 102-91 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Power forward Blake Griffin produced a season-best 40 points on 18-of-23 shooting and also had 12 rebounds against Utah but the Clippers scored 91 or fewer points for the third time in four games. “We just need to stay together and not get too down on ourselves,” Griffin said afterward, “but we’ve got to change something.” New Orleans started off 1-11 but has reeled off three consecutive victories, including Wednesday’s 120-114 road win against the Phoenix Suns. The victory was the first in eight away games for the Pelicans, who are averaging 115.3 points during their winning streak.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-11): Star power forward Anthony Davis has fueled the club’s winning streak by averaging 26 points and 18 rebounds during the stretch. He was 11-of-14 shooting and had 26 points and 17 rebounds in Wednesday’s victory and no longer appears bothered by a hip injury that caused him to play just one full contest in a five-game stretch. Backup forward Ryan Anderson has been superb with five consecutive 20-point outings and is averaging 26.6 points and shooting 55.6 percent from the field during the stretch.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (7-8): Los Angeles had more turnovers (19) than assists (18) in the loss to Utah as frustration continues to mount. Griffin and point guard Chris Paul (24 points on 10-of-15 shooting) made 73.7 percent of their field-goal attempts while the rest of the club combined for 27 points on 10-of-37 shooting. “We’ve got to start winning now, but we’ve got to fix it,” Paul said at the postgame press conference. “It’s just not right, it’s not fair to our fans. We’re better than this. We haven’t ever been like this.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won their last five home games against the Pelicans.
2. New Orleans G Tyreke Evans (knee) is expected to make his season debut on Friday after the club decided he wasn’t ready to play on Wednesday.
3. Los Angeles SGs J.J. Redick (1-for-6, three points) and Jamal Crawford (1-for-9, three points) were a combined 2-of-15 shooting in the loss to Utah.
PREDICTION: Clippers 112, Pelicans 107