The (19-15) Los Angeles Clippers and (8-27) Detroit Pistons will take the floor on Monday at Little Caesars Arena. LA is 3-2 over its past five after falling 119-114 to Philadelphia on Friday. Detroit has lost five straight, dropping its most recent game 130-105 to Atlanta.
Los Angeles beat the Pistons 96-91 on Nov. 17 in their only meeting this season.
Los Angeles has won five of its past seven games, including a 113-93 victory over Boston. In that statement win, LA held the Celtics under 100 points for the first time this season and played a solid all-around game. It was the kind of performance Clippers fans have been envisioning from Paul George and Kawhi Leonard but haven't witnessed often enough due to injuries.
The loss to Philadelphia was a tough one to swallow, as Los Angeles blew a 20-point first-half lead. Leonard had 28 points, George had 22, and Norman Powell scored 21, but the 76ers held George to just five second-half points. LA shot 50.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from distance in the losing effort but gave up 58 points in the paint.
Here comes Santa Klaws pic.twitter.com/rnGUQReGTO
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 24, 2022
This season, the Clippers are scoring 107.8 points per game and shooting 46.1 percent, including 36.9 percent from three-point range (10th-best in the league). LA is ranked dead-last in the league in offensive rating adjusted for the strength of opposing defenses faced and 19th in effective field goal percentage, per Dunks and Threes. George leads the team in scoring, averaging 23.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting.
The LA defense surrenders 107.9 points (third-fewest) on 45.3 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from long range. Its adjusted defensive rating is ranked fifth-best in the NBA, and its opponents' effective field goal percentage is 51.8 percent, the second-lowest percentage.
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