As the Los Angeles Clippers continue a four-game road swing on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., they will look to begin a new winning streak at the expense of the slumping Wizards.
Los Angeles saw its five-game winning streak snapped Monday in the second date of its road trip, falling 126-94 to the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Monday’s loss marked a rare defensive lapse for the Clippers this season. They held each of their previous four opponents to less than 100 points, including the high-scoring Golden State Warriors in a 102-99 win on Nov. 18.
“I told our guys (Boston is) a great team, but to not let go of the rope. Keep building on what we’ve established, and that’s playing hard. That’s competing. Not complaining to the officials, and doing things the right way,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said Monday. “That’s all you can ask of your guys. … continue to play with good habits and composure and not let it take away from what we’ve built.”
What the Clippers have built thus far in 2024-25 is one of the top defenses in the NBA, holding opponents to the league’s fourth-lowest yield at 107.5 points per game. Los Angeles has been exceptional in defending the 3-pointer, limiting opponents to 34.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
After surrendering 22 of 51 shots from deep to Boston, the Clippers will look to regroup against a Washington offense that has been among the NBA’s worst in a variety of categories, including 3-point shooting.
The Wizards shoot 32.5 percent from 3-point range and average just 108.5 points per game. Washington’s 127-108 loss to the Bulls on the first leg of this week’s back-to-back set marked the Wizards’ 12th consecutive defeat.
Rookie Alexandre Sarr put together consecutive strong games in Washington’s past two, however. He followed his 17-point, 14-rebound effort in a 115-103 loss to Indiana on Sunday with 20 points, seven rebounds and 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range on Tuesday.
“He’s starting to slow down and really find his touch behind the 3 (-point line),” Malcolm Brogdon said of Sarr to The Washington Post. “And he’s also learning to roll a little bit, to mix it up, to keep the defense on their toes.”
Sarr’s emergence came with Washington’s leading scorer, Jordan Poole at 21.2 points per game, sidelined with a hip injury. Poole’s availability for Wednesday is questionable.
The Clippers’ Norman Powell, averaging a career-best 23.3 points per game, has missed the past four games with a hamstring injury. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.
Amir Coffey has started in Powell’s place over this stretch, which he kicked off with 18 points in a Nov. 20 win over the Orlando Magic. Coffey’s scoring production has declined each game he has been in the starting lineup, bottoming with four points on Monday against the Celtics.
James Harden picked up the scoring slack in the Clippers’ first three games without Powell, going for 24, 22 and 23 points in the wins over Orlando, the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers. Ivica Zubac led Los Angeles in Boston with 23 points, and his 10 rebounds gave him his fourth consecutive double-double.
–Field Level Media
