Back at home, where they have found some comfort, the Los Angeles Clippers aim to end a three-game losing streak when they host the Utah Jazz on Sunday in Inglewood, California.
The Clippers return to their new arena after losing all three games on a road trip, including back-to-back defeats against the Houston Rockets. Their most recent loss came on Friday when the Rockets secured a 125-104 victory.
Leading scorer Norman Powell struggled on Friday, scoring a season-low eight points, well below his average of 23.6 per game. Over the two games in Houston, Powell averaged 10.5 points, shot 27.6 percent from the floor, and was 3 of 11 from three-point range (27.3 percent).
In a rare highlight, veteran James Harden made three three-pointers on Friday, tying Ray Allen for second on the all-time list with 2,973. Harden scored 21 points but had a season-low two assists. He has averaged 8.3 assists this season.
The Clippers continue to play without Kawhi Leonard (knee), and when teams manage to contain Powell and Harden, their path to victory becomes limited. The Clippers are now on high alert for opponents to replicate the Rockets’ strategy against them.
The Jazz, meanwhile, are starting to rebound from a rough start to the season, which began with a six-game losing streak. They have gone 3-3 since but have yet to secure consecutive wins, falling 121-117 to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 25 points, while Keyonte George added 19 and Collin Sexton had 18. The Jazz led by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter and were up 116-113 with 1:54 remaining but only made one free throw the rest of the way.
Markkanen missed three consecutive games with a back injury as November began but has averaged 18.8 points over the past four games.
Jazz forward John Collins is averaging a team-best 17.9 points per contest, even after coming off the bench for the first nine games. Since moving into the starting lineup for the past three games, he has averaged 24.3 points.
Jordan Clarkson is finding his form after missing two games at the start of the month with a foot injury, scoring 17 points in 30 minutes off the bench on Saturday. Taylor Hendricks is out for the season after suffering a severe right leg injury three games into the season.
