Game Preview: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers, who have been struggling at home this season, host the Los Angeles Clippers in their next game at Conseco Field House in Indianapolis.
The Clippers are also struggling to break their losing streak, both home and away, and have the worst record in the entire National Basketball Association (NBA) this season.
The Clippers are 1-10 for the season, having lost ten straight games. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 4-5 for the season, including a win over the Denver Nuggets and a loss against the Atlanta Hawks.
Preview
The Clippers lost their last game away to the Minnesota Timberwolves 113 – 111. Eric Gordon scored 30 points, while rookie Blake Griffin scored 26 points and 17 rebounds, but neither could prevent Michael Beasley from hitting the winning jumper with 2.3
seconds to play. Beasley, who was the game’s top scorer with 33-points, carried the Timberwolves to their second consecutive home victory.
Indiana lost their last home game 102-92 to the Atlanta Hawks. Josh Smith played a vital role in the victory with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks.
Players to watch
Eric Gordon has been one of the few Clippers players to play consistently well, averaging 26.6 points and 5.9 assists in previous games. Blake Griffin can provide stiff resistance on court after he scored 26 points and 17 rebounds against the Wolves. Griffin
is enjoying his rookie season with 10.2 rebounds per game.
Indiana is led by forward Danny Granger, who has an average of 22.1 points per game. Roy Hibbert scored 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Atlanta. Mike Dunleavy also scored 14 points against the Hawks, and will be looking continue performing
in the same manner. The Pacers hope to have starting guard Darren Collison and key reserve Tyler Hansbrough back after ankle injuries. Collison averages 15.1 points and 4.1 assists this season.
Quotable
Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro is hopeful ahead of the game, “There’s nothing you can do but keep grinding it out, get ready for (Thursday). We definitely need to get a win here, but if we keep battling and sharpen some things up we’ll have some opportunities.”
He was however concerned by the high number of turnovers, which have really hurt his team this season.
Numbers
Los Angeles Clippers are ranked 27th in the NBA in terms of scoring; with just 95.3 points per game.
The Clippers are shooting 44.3 percent points from the field compared to 45.1 percent for the Pacers.
The Clippers are making 7.1 three pointers on 36.8 percent from three point range, while the Pacers are making 7.9 three pointers on 39.4 percent from the three point range.
The Pacers have a 47.2 to 42.1 percent advantage when it comes to rebounds, and have also committed fewer turnovers than the clippers 12.9 to 17.6.
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