Clippers get shot at revenge against Lakers on Saturday
For the Clippers, a blistering schedule in December, plus injuries to key players, sent the team spiraling into a six-game losing streak to end 2016. A more forgiving schedule in January has helped them rediscover their spirit with a five-game winning streak.
The Lakers were one of the teams that handed the Clippers another soul-searching loss on Christmas night, when the Lakers’ starters dominated in a 111-102 win.
Now the Clippers want to pay back the Lakers for that loss when the teams meet Saturday afternoon at Staples Center in a designated Clippers home game.
“Oh, yeah, you want to get one back. You don’t want to lose to the other L.A. team, so guys are going to be locked in tomorrow,” Clippers forward Marreese Speights said Friday. “Early game, we’re going to go hard and have a whole day to rest after that.”
In the Christmas game, Chris Paul (left hamstring) and Blake Griffin (right-knee surgery) didn’t play and Clippers guard J.J. Redick suffered a left hamstring injury and missed the fourth quarter.
But Paul has played the last three games and has run the offense with his usual skill, averaging 17 points, 10.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds in those wins. Paul had an excused absence from practice Friday but is expected to play Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Lakers had a dreadful December, winning only two games. This month, the Lakers are 3-3. But on Thursday, the Lakers suffered the most lopsided loss in the history of their series against the San Antonio Spurs, 134-94.
Lakers Coach Luke Walton was asked to contextualize the victory over the Clippers.
“You gotta take it knowing that Chris Paul wasn’t playing and J.J. Redick got hurt. But we did some very good things in that game,” Walton said Friday at practice. “I spent last night reliving and rewatching the San Antonio 40-point loss, so I’ll get more into that [Clippers] tape today.
“There’s always a lot to learn and take from the second time — second, third, fourth time — you play a team. Hopefully we can get some of that energy back, but we’ll see.”
Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram suffered a sprained left wrist during practice on Wednesday, but he played against San Antonio. While Ingram said he was sore when he woke up on Friday, he completed practice and said he did not have problems with his wrist.
He joined the rest of the Lakers viewing film.
“Today was the mood where we look forward to watching the film just to see where we can get better,” Lakers guard Lou Williams said. “With the stretch of games we have coming up, we wanna get out of here with some of these wins.
“So we were eager to get over there and learn. Sometimes it’s kind of embarrassing to watch. Sometimes you kind of get that vibe where you know it’s cringe worthy. So today was one of those learning experiences as well.”
The Clippers finished last month playing seven games in 12 days, but they play just three games a week this month.
“It’s better. We’re at home. We haven’t left the state,” said Redick, referring to the Clippers’ lone trip this month to Sacramento. Redick mentioned the team’s heavy schedule to end December, adding, “That’s tough for anybody, especially when you’re not healthy. And then you don’t play hard to compound that, you suck and you lose six in a row.”
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