Clips Nation - Clippers-Thunder game coverageWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2015-02-08T13:01:22-08:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/77644002015-02-08T13:01:22-08:002015-02-08T13:01:22-08:00Thunder Blast Clippers, 131-108
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<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Welcome to the nadir. This elevator is still going down.</p> <p>It's not been a good week for the Clippers (and certainly not for Clippers fans). After finally starting to get recognition for their good play and contender candidacy at the start of this week, they've been getting clobbered by what seems like a perfect storm for unanimous national derision. At this rate I may have to start trawling last year's <a target="_blank" href="http://postingandtoasting.com">Posting and Toasting</a> archives to find the inspiration to craft truly beautiful and lamenting prose.</p>
<p>It feels like the Clippers are getting beaten up on excessively by media types, yet at the same time the near future feels dark almost to the point of no return. The crowd of frothing bloggerazi tripping over one another to lambast this team has never been bigger — you can't spend more than five seconds on Twitter without hearing someone scream about how the Clippers are entitled flopping overrated assholes who've never won diddly squat. My head hurts.</p>
<p>Let's talk about this game for a little bit. Once news of Blake Griffin's surgery broke, we knew this wasn't going to end well for the Clippers. No Griffin, no Redick, no bench, and the third game for the team in a span of less than 72 hours. It was competitive to start, as Spencer Hawes reclaimed the starting role that he had cherished so dearly for most of his NBA career. Hawes has openly admitted the unfamiliarity of coming off the bench is a huge factor in his down season, and he testified to that today, going for 9 in the opening quarter and 17 in the first half (which ties a season-high set all the way back in Game 3 vs. Sacramento). On the flip side, he only came up with 1 rebound and zero assists in 35 minutes.</p>
<p>You can see how playing with Chris Paul was a huge advantage for him; CP3 constantly found him off the pick-and-roll and gave him the ball in a position to make good plays. Contrast that with his usual running mate Jamal Crawford, who doesn't have the same court vision or selflessness. In this game there were more than a few occasions where Jamal had two players on him after a Hawes screen, but the ball never found its way back to the open man. His shooting slump continues</p>
<p>The Clippers led 26-22 near the end of the 1st quarter before the reserve units emerged in full force. Once that happened, ne'er-do-wells Reggie Jackson and Mitch McGary (playing his first extended meaningful minutes of the season) shot the ball as if a single miss would kill them — they finished a combined 14-15 for 34 points. The pair helped trigger a 12-0 run that catapulted the Thunder into a lead that would never be challenged.</p>
<p>Los Angeles held firm for most of the 1st half, keeping the deficit in a manageable 8-14 point range. Unfortunately, after halftime the Thunder came out guns firing. Russell Westbrook, who had historically struggled against the Clippers before last year, broke out of his first-half shooting slump and became the Westbrook who terrrorized this team last postseason. Misses were not on the menu for Oklahoma City that quarter, and whatever fell off the rim came under the five-second rule, with offensive boards galore. It was a 44-22 margin after three quarters and for much of the game the Thunder had more offensive rebounds than the Clips did total rebounds.</p>
<p>Yes, this was the second straight game giving up more than 120 (131 is the highest opponent score in the CP3 era), the third straight shellacking on national television, the fourth straight loss, and not quite yet the end of a hellacious 4-in-5 at the tail end of a NBA season-high eight-game road trip. It's not a good time to be a fan of a team that slid into the seventh seed following today's game, and within striking distance of the ninth. But as stated after the Raptors game, this team is not as bad as it looks — multiple factors are colliding simultaneously to create a drearier picture than reflects reality.</p>
<p>In addition to the schedule, the Clippers are still mired in a shooting slump, not having shot better than 36% from 3 since the Phoenix game before the road trip. And injuries are finally striking this team perhaps at the most difficult stretch of the season — Glen Davis joined the gang on sick leave after suffering back spasms in the second quarter. A team that already had highly publicized depth issues before recent events now has to come together and find a solution to the problems facing them before a brutal post-All-Star schedule threatens to swallow them whole and dump another lottery pick in the hands of the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>As awful as that all sounds, I have faith that things will turn around shortly sooner or later. I've said it before and I won't back down now — the Clippers are making the Western Conference Finals this year. On to Dallas.</p>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/8/8001917/thunder-blast-clippers-131-108Adithya2015-02-08T09:48:12-08:002015-02-08T09:48:12-08:00Griffin out until after All Star break
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<figcaption>Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Blake Griffin will have minor surgery to remove a staph infection on his elbow and will be out until after the All Star break when he will be reevaluated.</p> <p><span>The Clippers have announced that Blake Griffin has a staph infection in his elbow that will require surgery. The surgery will be performed in Los Angeles on Monday (tomorrow) and Griffin will be out at least through the All Star break,</span></p>
<p><span>The team is riding its first three game losing streak of the Doc Rivers era and in the middle of a brutal stretch of games -- they can ill-afford to be without Griffin for long. Griffin is the team's leading scorer and second in rebounding and assists. When Griffin is in the game the offense invariably goes through him at some point -- and when he's not in the game, as will be the case for a time here -- it's rarely pretty.</span></p>
<p><span>The Clippers have three games before the All Star break -- in a few minutes in Oklahoma City, tomorrow in Dallas and Wednesday against the Rockets back at home when their eight game Grammy trip finally ends. Without Griffin, they could easily lose all three (which would leave them at 2-6 on the Grammy trip).</span></p>
<p><span>The good news though is that this hardly qualifies as "elbow surgery" a term which technically applies but makes it sound pretty serious. (The team's own press release was titled "Blake Griffin to Undergo Surgery" -- that didn't look good in my email this morning.) The fact is there's nothing structurally wrong with Griffin's elbow -- this is an infection that needs to be removed. So when the team says that he'll be reevaluated after the All Star break (the game is one week from today) they're not being unrealistically optimistic -- Griffin really could be back for the February 19th game against the Spurs in Los Angeles. But we'll have to wait and see on that. Griffin has long played with issues with the elbow, including a bursa sac. When asked what he thought about it, Doc Rivers sounded an ominous tone saying "It could be awhile."</span></p>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Scary part of injury? The unknown, Rivers said. "It could be awhile."</p>
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/564465039352926209">February 8, 2015</a>
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<p>Meanwhile, can the rest of the team have any success in three games without him? The Clippers bench has been a weakness all season, and the recent back issues for J.J. Redick have only exacerbated the problem. Spencer Hawes will slot into the starting power forward position in Griffin's absence, and the burden on Chris Paul to generate offense will increase enormously.</p>
<p>The team responded surprisingly well to Paul's own more serious injury last season. The old adage is that a star's absence provides an opportunity for others to step up, and that was certainly true a year ago when Griffin came into his own while Paul was out of the lineup. Can DeAndre Jordan take another step forward? Can Hawes begin to justify the excitement that his signing originally generated? Can Glen Big Baby Davis step up his game? Now is the time for the bigs on the roster to have a bigger impact.</p>
<p>Even if Griffin is truly gone just three games, the Clippers, already in sixth place in the Western Conference standings and tied in the loss column with San Antonio, will probably find themselves in seventh place heading into the break. It's not where they expected to be -- but if Griffin is indeed healthy coming out of the break, if he only misses three games, then perhaps they will consider themselves lucky as they begin a final push towards the postseason</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/8/8001301/griffin-out-until-after-all-star-breakSteve Perrin2015-02-08T09:45:02-08:002015-02-08T09:45:02-08:00Clippers-Thunder open thread
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<figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Clippers need a win against the Thunder, but wins have never come easy for the Clippers in OKC.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2014/2015 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="thunder logo" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x-8Ps7NuWggkGLZ-OfnsUOSbShI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif">
</figure>
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>33-18</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b> 25-25</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>February 8th, 2015, 10:00 AM PST</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>ABC</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Win-Loss Breakdown (2013-2014)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>12-8</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>20-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>13-17</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>20-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>14-8</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>11-17</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>12-14</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>9-18</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>21-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>16-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>6-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>5-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Russell Westbrook</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Austin Rivers</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Andre Roberson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kevin Durant</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Serge Ibaka</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Steven Adams</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">96.2 (14th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>97.1 (9th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">110.4 (1st)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>101.4 (19th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">104.0 (17th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>100.9 (10th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span> (back spasms) — out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kendrick Perkins</span> (suspension) — out</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> (illness) — day-to-day</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="5" align="center"><center><b><a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> lead 2014-2015 season series over <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a>; 1-0</b></center></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Date</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Venue</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Final</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Clips Nation</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>ESPN</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><center><b>10/30/2014</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Los Angeles</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Clippers 93, Thunder 90</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/10/30/7136615/clippers-eke-out-ugly-win-in-home-opener-93-90-over-oklahoma-city"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/400578312/gameId/400578312/boxscore?gameId=400578312"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/8/8000363/clippers-thunder-open-threadSteve Perrin2015-02-08T00:19:00-08:002015-02-08T00:19:00-08:00Clippers-Thunder: Welcome Back to Loud City
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<figcaption>Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It's been nine long months since last season ended. But heading back to the place where life was taken from the Clippers by force, we're certain to see old wounds reopen anew.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2014/2015 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="thunder logo" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x-8Ps7NuWggkGLZ-OfnsUOSbShI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif">
</figure>
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>33-18</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b> 25-25</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>February 8th, 2015, 10:00 AM PST</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>ABC</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Win-Loss Breakdown (2013-2014)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>12-8</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>20-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>13-17</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>20-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>14-8</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>11-17</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>12-14</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>9-18</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>21-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>16-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>6-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>5-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Russell Westbrook</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>Jamal Crawford</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Andre Roberson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kevin Durant</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Spencer Hawes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Serge Ibaka</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Steven Adams</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">96.2 (14th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>97.1 (9th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">110.4 (1st)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>101.4 (19th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">104.0 (17th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>100.9 (10th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span> (elbow) — out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kendrick Perkins</span> (suspension) — out</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span> (back spasms) — out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> (illness) — day-to-day</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="5" align="center"><center><b><a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> lead 2014-2015 season series over <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a>; 1-0</b></center></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Date</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Venue</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Final</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>Clips Nation</b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#C8C8C8"><center><b>ESPN</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><center><b>10/30/2014</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Los Angeles</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Clippers 93, Thunder 90</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/10/30/7136615/clippers-eke-out-ugly-win-in-home-opener-93-90-over-oklahoma-city"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/400578312/gameId/400578312/boxscore?gameId=400578312"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<h4>Where are We?</h4>
<p>The Clippers are currently mired in their worst stretch under <span>Doc Rivers</span>, losing three games in a row for the first time during his tenure. Dating back to New Orleans, they've lost four of five, and apart from a clinical blowout in San Antonio, the team hasn't looked quite like what we've wanted them to be. Los Angeles is coming off a pair of embarassing blowouts on back-to-back nights on national TV, in addition to a loss in Brooklyn where they gave up an eight point lead in ln the final minute of the game.</p>
<p>That's the negative spin on thing. To <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/6/7994317/clippers-raptors-recap-february-6-2015" target="_blank">put things into perspective</a>, the sky-is-falling crowd is still way out of its depth here. So the Clippers have looked mortal (at best) recently, it's not a big deal. Take a look at the rest of the West and show me one team outside of Golden State (and maybe Memphis, who themselves went through a four-game losing streak earlier in the year) who's looked consistently excellent. Just last night the Blazers gave up an 11-point lead within the last three minutes of the game, from which point they were on the receiving end of a 22-2 run stretching deep into the overtime period. The team who beat them, Dallas, has well-publicized issues (which we'll likely see firsthand tomorrow night) of their own — same goes for Portland, San Antonio, Phoenix, etc.</p>
<p>Let's look at the facts — the Clippers are currently on an extensive Grammy roadtrip (8 games in 13 days), the longest continuous trip in the NBA this season. Their schedule is a <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/1/28/7930795/los-angeles-clippers-nba-season-most-challenging" target="_blank"><b>gauntlet</b></a>, and they might be in the toughest part of it right now — four games in five nights, facing four contenders on the road in Cleveland, Toronto, and now Oklahoma City and Dallas. That sort of itinerary could drive any team mad, let's be real.</p>
<p>And it's even more difficult when multiple players are on the floor working through various ailments and maladies. J.J. Redick is out indefinitely with an injury that's apparently "been described as whiplash," <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/final-650507-ocregister-raptors.html" target="_blank">per Dan Woike</a>. Meanwhile, other members of the team are also suffering:</p>
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<p><span>Blake Griffin, who led the Clippers with 26 points, had ice on his right elbow after the game. Like DeAndre Jordan and Hedo Turkoglu, Griffin was also fighting a stomach virus.</span></p>
<p><span>"We’re going through one of those stretches," Matt Barnes said. "I told the guys, ‘People aren’t feeling sorry for us. They see blood in the water, they’re going to try to kill us.’"</span></p>
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<p>Unfortunately, today's game will also be nationally televised, and it wouldn't be shocking to see a ragged Clippers team bulldozed once again. Let's just keep our heads about us, even as the rest of the basketball world goes crazy.</p>
<p><b>EDIT: </b>Blake Griffin will not play today — he's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/clippers/blake-griffin-undergo-surgery">out indefinitely</a> after surgery to remove a staph infection in his right elbow. It sounds as though he'll be out for certain until at least the All-Star Break (Lillard?), and the Clippers have to hope he'll get back on the floor soon.</p>
<h4>Where are They?</h4>
<p>It's looking more and more like a lost season for Oklahoma City. They're still only three games out of eighth place, but they've shown very little consistency and continue to lag behind both Phoenix and New Orleans.</p>
<p>Speaking of New Orleans, the <a href="https://www.thebirdwrites.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pelicans</a> came into the Thunderdome Friday night and knocked off OKC with a buzzer-beating double-clutch three-pointer from <span>Anthony Davis</span>, who is forcing his way into the MVP discussion, standings be damned. And speaking of MVPs... Russell Westbrook has been killing it so far in February. After notching a triple-double v. Orlando, he broke 45 points in each of his last two games (including a ridiculous 48-9-11 line in the latter), becoming the first player since Kobe eight years ago to accomplish that feat in consecutive games.</p>
<p>This hasn't translated into wins yet, though. OKC's only gone 5-5 over their last ten, and they've only had one winning streak of more than two games (four in a row) since mid-December. Looking forward, their schedule tilts very home-friendly, so there's still plenty of time to catch up.</p>
<p>Of note — Kendrick Perkins will miss today's game after being suspended for headbutting <span>Tyreke Evans</span> in the previous game. Meanwhile, Clipper-hating stud Perry Jones III has not been able to match his dominating performance in the LA season opener, and he's reportedly been injured recently, not seeing the floor in his last few games.</p>
<h4>Bad Memories</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/7/7995089/oklahoma-city-thunder-los-angeles-clippers-2014-game-5-playoffs-retrospective" target="_blank">I wrote close to 5000 words</a> about Game 5 yesterday, and I'd stongly encourage you to go read it if you've got a tough constitution and a bit of a masochistic streak. Because of all that, I'll try to keep this preview on the shorter side.</p>
<p>In any case, this is the first game in the heartland since that fateful May 13th. The Clippers might have overcome their internal demons, but the thought of that night certainly continues to haunt many of them.</p>
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<p>Blake Griffin said he still watches the Thunder playoff series on his iPad, last viewing it during Clippers' most recent homestand.</p>
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) <a href="https://twitter.com/latbbolch/status/564190256774135808">February 7, 2015</a>
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<h4>Connections</h4>
<p>Blake Griffin and <span>Ekpe Udoh</span> are both from Oklahoma, while Chris Paul played in Oklahoma City when he first entered the league, living there for two years and developing regional ties. It's possible that if not for him the Thunder organization as we know it would be nonexistent today. Russell Westbrook is from California and played for UCLA. Kendrick Perkins used to play for Doc Rivers in Boston.</p>
<p>Spencer Hawes and <span>Jamal Crawford</span> are both from the Seattle area, where Durant began his NBA career and <span>Nick Collison</span> played for. Those two players are the only members of the OKC roster to have played as a SuperSonic. Perry Jones and Ekpe Udoh are both Baylor alums. <span>Dion Waiters</span> is also on this team.</p>
<h4>Wikipedia</h4>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Walmart_brands#Dr._Thunder">Dr. Thunder</a><span> is a brand of soft drink produced for Walmart stores. Dr. Thunder was originally called "Southern Lightning", but the name was changed to reflect its similarities to Dr. Pepper. Since 2009, Walmart has sourced their store brand sodas from multiple companies, having previously exclusively used Cott Beverages as its manufacturer. The soda, as with all Walmart store brands, is also carried by Asda stores in the UK.</span></p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/2/8/8000293/clippers-thunder-2015-preview-griffin-durant-westbrook-tony-brothersAdithya