The Los Angeles Clippers’ new home at the Intuit Dome has it all, from a double-sided 4K scoreboard to high-tech restrooms. But there’s one thing missing: a victory by the home team.
The Clippers are 0-3 at home as they head into a matchup against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif. Oklahoma City comes into the contest with a perfect 5-0 record for the first time since the 2011-12 season when the Kevin Durant-led team lost in the NBA Finals. The Thunder remained unbeaten after cruising to a 137-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Oklahoma City faces a quick turnaround before taking on the Clippers, who led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter before losing 125-119 to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
James Harden led Los Angeles with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists for his 78th career triple-double. The Clippers fell to 2-3 after allowing Phoenix to shoot 60.5 percent from the field in the second half, including 52.2 percent from three-point range.
Norman Powell is averaging a team-high 25.4 points for Los Angeles, which has lost its past two games by a combined seven points. The Clippers’ three season losses have been by a total of 10 points.
Harden, who spent the first three seasons of his career with Oklahoma City, saw his former team deliver another impressive performance on Friday. The Thunder dominated the second half, outscoring the Blazers 69-46.
With centers Jaylin Williams (right hamstring strain) and Isaiah Hartenstein (left hand fracture) sidelined, Coach Mark Daigneault has moved 6-foot-9 Ousmane Dieng into the rotation. The third-year forward contributed 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one block in 19 minutes off the bench on Friday.
The Thunder were able to rest their starters for much of the fourth quarter on Friday, with an eye toward the second half of the back-to-back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting in 28 minutes in the win.
