Los Angeles Clippers hope to stay hot in NBA with scuffling Sacramento Kings in town

LOS ANGELES – The resurgent Los Angeles Clippers take a shot at a fifth consecutive lopsided National Basketball Association (NBA) win when they host the Sacramento Kings on Dec 30 (Dec 31, Singapore time).

The Clippers, who won just six of their first 27 games of the season, have rolled off four victories – all by at least 13 points – in nine days.

The closest of the bunch came on Dec 28 against Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons, as the Clippers claimed a 112-99 triumph that tipped off a five-game homestand.

Several players have excelled in that run, especially Kawhi Leonard, who had a career-high 55 points in the win over the Pistons. James Harden also averaged 28 points over the stretch.

John Collins chipped in with a double-double against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec 20, Kobe Sanders buried three straight three-pointers off the bench against the Houston Rockets three days later, before Nicolas Batum responded to a start with 12 points against Detroit.

But, according to Harden, it has been Brook Lopez who has taken the Clippers to a new level.

“Honestly, credit to Brook,” he said. “What he brings to the table defensively – his communication, his contesting shots at the rim, shot-making ability, spacing.

“A combination of those things has helped us overall as a team offensively.”

Lopez, who was promoted to a starting spot in the last three games following Ivica Zubac’s left ankle sprain in the contest against the Lakers on Dec 20, has blocked a total of seven shots during the winning streak and also averaged 13.5 points while shooting 14-for-28 on three-pointers.

Zubac remains out indefinitely.

Against the Kings, the 37-year-old Lopez will run into a pair of Sacramento rookies who were not even born when the Southern California native started high school.

Big men Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell have effectively manned the middle for the Kings in recent games. They combined for 23 points and 17 rebounds in Sacramento’s 125-101 loss to the Lakers on Dec 28, in the opener of the Kings’ two-game Los Angeles layover.

Raynaud has averaged 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds over the last 13 games as he has settled into the injured Domantas Sabonis’ starting spot.

The Los Angeles visit also serves as a homecoming for Russell Westbrook, who saved a memorable moment for his old fans against his former team on Dec 28.

Applauded before the game in part for having passed Lakers great Magic Johnson on the NBA all-time assist leaderboard a day earlier, Westbrook moved up a spot among the scoring leaders as well on Dec 28, passing Dominique Wilkins for 16th place with his 26,669th point.

Oscar Robertson is now just 38 points ahead.

Back-to-back scheduled games in Los Angeles got Westbrook, 37, reminiscing to the media.

“I grew up playing football, taking a bus, going to the park, just being a normal kid in the city,” said the native of Long Beach, about 20 miles south of Los Angeles.

“And things happened so fast to me. I always knew if given the opportunity to be able to be somebody, I would take full advantage of it.

“The records are all great, but I hope it inspires other people, people across the world, to do great things in their lives as well.” REUTERS