(Sports Network) - Perhaps the Los Angeles Clippers can show the Charlotte
Bobcats a thing or two about winning when both teams square off Wednesday
night at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The Clippers, winners of seven straight, will resume a four-game road trip
against a Bobcats squad that has lost eight in a row.
Los Angeles opened the trek with Tuesday's 94-89 victory at Chicago behind
Blake Griffin's 22 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Paul had 18 points -- the
most since a 23-point effort Nov. 28 versus Minnesota -- and Matt Barnes
contributed 14 off the bench for L.A., which is riding the longest win streak
since an eight-game run during the 1991-92 campaign.
"[Barnes] got us in the open court," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said
on the team's website. "He made some plays for us, guarded well. He just does
all the little things. He's active and I like his activity."
Jamal Crawford matched his lowest point output of the season with 10. He has
scored in double figures over the past 28 games.
The franchise mark for consecutive victories is 11 straight games accomplished
by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves.
L.A., which is 11-0 when holding teams to 43 percent shooting or worse, had
scored 100-plus points in six straight games and is sixth in the NBA with
101.9 ppg. The Clips still have the Bucks and Pistons left on the swing and
are 5-3 as the visitor.
Charlotte is winless in its previous eight contests and hasn't tasted victory
since Nov. 24 at Washington. Still searching for one more win to eclipse last
season's total of seven (7-59), the Bobcats dropped a 104-96 decision Monday
versus the Golden State Warriors and fell to 0-2 on a three-game homestand.
Kemba Walker continued to sizzle with 24 points and is averaging 22.0 ppg in
the last five games. The former UConn star has scored in double digits in 19
of 20 games this season, including seven games with 20-plus points. Walker
leads the Bobcats with 17.7 ppg.
Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 17 points and seven rebounds for the
Bobcats, losers of six straight at home. Charlotte is 5-8 as the host.
"When you lose consecutive games like we have the value of a shot for a player
appears to be 10 and not two or three," said Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap.
Ben Gordon scored 14 points off the bench in defeat and is averaging 16.0 ppg
in his past nine. Gordon is 29-of-51 from 3-point range in that span.
The Bobcats will visit Atlanta Thursday night and have allowed 103.5 ppg this
season, second-worst in the league. Only Houston is worse (105.4 ppg).
Charlotte lost the only meeting with the Clippers last season, a 111-86
setback at home, and is just 5-10 all-time in the series.
The Sports Network