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Kings, Clippers meet at Staples Center Saturday
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 1/15/2016  at  8:30:00 PM
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SACRAMENTO KINGS (16-23)

at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (26-13)

Tip-off: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET
Line: N/A

The Clippers will be going for their 11th straight victory when they host the Kings on Saturday.

The Kings have their hearts set on getting a playoff spot in the Western Conference this season, but the team will need to start to string together a few winning streaks in order for that to happen. Sacramento has been wildly inconsistent this season, but the team is coming off of a 103-101 victory as a 2.5-point underdog in Utah on Thursday night. The Clippers, meanwhile, are one of the hottest teams in basketball. Los Angeles’ 104-90 home victory over Miami on Wednesday was the team’s 10th straight victory SU and the team has covered in eight of those contests. The Clippers have dominated the Kings in recent years, going 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in their past 10 meetings. Los Angeles has won the past five games and has also won 8 of the past 10 games played at Staples Center. It’s also worth noting that three of the past four played between these teams in Los Angeles have gone Over the total. One thing that is working in Sacramento’s favor in this game is the fact that the team is 10-7 ATS as an away underdog this season. The Clippers are, however, 13-10-2 ATS when coming off of a SU win this season. The Kings will be at full strength for this game, but the Clippers will be far from it. PF Blake Griffin (Quad) is out indefinitely for the team and C DeAndre Jordan (Illness) may have to miss a second straight game due to pneumonia.

The Kings are coming off of a big win in Utah and C DeMarcus Cousins (26.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG) was an animal in that game. Cousins played 39 minutes and finished with 36 points, 17 boards, one block and one steal. He was 10-for-21 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the outside in that game. Over the past five games, Cousins is averaging 33.0 PPG and 13.2 RPG. He should have no trouble dominating this Clippers team, but he would really go off if DeAndre Jordan were to sit out. He is averaging 22.5 PPG and 11.0 RPG in two meetings with Los Angeles this season and that was with Jordan on the floor. PG Rajon Rondo (11.7 PPG, 11.6 APG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG) is really going to need to play a good game for Sacramento in this one. Rondo is averaging 12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 6.0 APG in two meetings with the Clippers this season. He must continue to do a good job of running his offense, but he also has to play some solid defense on Chris Paul in this game. Paul has been on fire lately, and if Rondo doesn’t slow him down then the Kings will likely get blown out on Saturday. SF Rudy Gay (18.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG) has a golden opportunity to have a big game for Sacramento in this one. Gay will not have to guard Blake Griffin in this one and holds a major size advantage over any small forward that the Clippers throw his way to guard him. He should be able to score in bunches in the high post and he will be feeling confident after hitting the game-winning shot in Utah on Thursday.

The Clippers are playing extremely well recently and they are doing so with a number of different players taking games off. The one guy who has stayed on the floor is PG Chris Paul (18.0 PPG, 9.6 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG), who should really be in the MVP conversation at this point in the season. Over the past five games, Paul is averaging 20.2 PPG, 12.6 APG, 5.4 RPG and 2.2 SPG. He is shooting 47.4% from the outside and has made some role players around him look like all-stars. One of those guys is C Cole Aldrich (4.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG), who filled in for C DeAndre Jordan (11.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG) against the Heat on Wednesday. Jordan may have to miss this game as well, so it would Aldrich getting another chance to show what he’s got. He was excellent against Miami, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes of action. He would, however, have to do his best to defend DeMarcus Cousins if Jordan is unable to play, and that is no easy task for anybody. Another guy who will have to play well for the Clippers is SG Jamal Crawford (12.2 PPG). Crawford has seen an expanded role recently, as Los Angeles needs scoring to make up for the loss of Griffin. Over the past five games, the shooting guard is averaging 15.6 PPG and he’ll need to continue to add a scoring punch off the bench for this team.


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