The Back Story:
November 11th, 2009 in LA - Oklahoma City 83, Clippers 79 box score recap
The Big Picture:
The Clippers have lost three straight games, each in uniquely painful fashion. It started with a start to finish shellacking from the Hornets, who as it happens can't seem to beat anyone else. Next was a lackadaisical loss to these self-same Oklahomans in which neither team played well, but the Clippers managed to play worse, especially in a 10 point fourth quarter. Then Friday night against Toronto it was like two separate games - the Clippers dominated until early in the second quarter, building a 22 point lead before Toronto woke up and dismantled LA the rest of the way, eventually winning by 15. And those games were all at home! Now it's time to invent new kinds of misery on the first multi-game road trip of the season. In Wednesday's meeting, Chris Kaman had his worst game of the season shooting just 9 for 26, perhaps owing to a virus that had him under the weather. He bounced back with a strong three quarters against Toronto. But it won't matter how well Kaman or Baron Davis or anyone else plays if the Clippers can't figure out how to play all four quarters. The team has been horrific in the fourth quarter of their losses this season - you can't really build a lead big enough if you only play three quarters.