The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers live in opposite worlds entering Sunday's game at Staples Center.
The Clippers only have five games remaining in the regular season and LA's second favorite NBA team ranks fifth in the Western Conference. The Clippers have won nine of their last 10 games and appear to be getting hot at the perfect time -- entering the post-season.
The Lakers have seven games remaining in the season in which 55 losses have ensured that they will finish near the bottom of the Western Conference. They are guaranteed to have their worst season in team history. Facing the Clippers should only further help the Lakers' draft lottery chances.
Even if the scoreboard at Staples Center appears broken at times on Sunday night, the match-up between Jordan Clarkson and Chris Paul offers a reason to watch. Over his past seven games, the Lakers' rookie point guard is averaging 21.9 points, 6.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 36.0 minutes per game. Paul, who has been playing at an MVP level lately, is averaging 24.4 points, 11.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over his past 7 contests. The pair of point guards promise a sideshow that should overshade the actual contest.
Of course, Paul's teammates offer considerably more support than Clarkson's, so Sunday's game does not promise to be competitive for 48 minutes despite the Clippers playing on the second night of a back-to-back. For reference, the Lakers lost to the New Orleans Pelicans by 21 points on Wednesday and to the Portland Trail Blazers by 30 points on Friday night. Added to that, the Clippers beat the Lakers by 25 points the last time these teams met, which was back in January.
The Clippers have beaten the Lakers in five straight games by an average margin of 27.8 points per game. Considering the Clippers' current form and the Lakers' depleted roster, simply improving that average would be an accomplishment for the purple and gold.
The Lakers and Clippers tip-off at 6:30 p.m. at Staples Center.
