Coming off a night of blowout loss to the Lakers, Oklahoma City continues its two-game series in Los Angeles on Tuesday against the division-leading Clippers.
The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have been one of the top stories in the NBA this season and are in great position to finish among the top four teams in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Clippers are looking to rebuild after a slow start after acquiring guard James Harden from the 76ers in late October.
Los Angeles lost the first five games with Harden in the lineup, but the team has had the best record in the league since then, going 22-7 in its last 29 games.
Since losing at home to the Lakers on Dec. 23, the Thunder have won nine of their past 12 games and remain one game behind the Timberwolves for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The Thunder will suffer another tough loss against the struggling Lakers on Monday night. OKC had rookie sensation Chet Holmgren in foul trouble early, allowing the Lakers to take a 20-point advantage in the paint.
Holmgren should have an easier time staying on the court Tuesday night after rim defender Ivica Zubac was sidelined with a calf injury.
In the first matchup on Dec. 21, the Thunder defeated the Clippers 134-115 as 6.5-point home favorites. Los Angeles played without Kawhi Leonard, but OKC had a great performance from Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points against the former. team.
Gilgeous-Alexander appeared on the injury report with a sprained right knee in Monday's game against the Lakers. However, he played and scored 24 points in 34 minutes.
His condition for Tuesday night's game is unclear, so we'll have to see how his knee holds up by the second game of the back-to-back.
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The Clippers' three-game winning streak ended Sunday with a 109-105 loss to Minnesota, but they have won 11 of their last 12 games against Crypto in straight sets and lost 11-9 against the spread at home. , many of them are losing.Before Harden arrived in LA
Look for the Clippers to bounce back and defeat a Thunder team on Tuesday night in the second leg of a back-to-back that features a star point guard who is less than 100%.
Pick: Clippers -5.5 (-110, Caesars)
