
With three victories in their last four games, the Los Angeles Clippers are finally starting to string together some wins. The Oklahoma City Thunder aren't quite there yet.
On Tuesday night, the Clippers go for their first three-game winning streak since starting 4-0 in 2007-08 as they take on a Thunder team that's dropped seven straight and 21 of 22.Los Angeles (6-17) opens its four-game road trip on Tuesday night following back-to-back wins over Portland and Houston - the first time the Clippers have won two straight in 2008-09. Zach Randolph scored 15 of his 30 points in the first quarter and grabbed 13 rebounds on Saturday as all five Los Angeles starters scored in double figures in a 95-82 win over the Rockets.
"It's a building block. We're trying to build," said Randolph, who is averaging 26.0 points, 10.5 rebounds as the Clippers have gone 4-4 in his eight starts since he was acquired from New York on Nov. 21.
With 38 points in Los Angeles' 120-112 double overtime win over the Trail Blazers on Friday, Randolph became the first Clipper since Corey Maggette on March 15 and 17 to have back-to-back 30-point games.
Randolph had 29 points and 19 boards for the Knicks in a 116-106 win over Oklahoma City on Nov. 14.
"Man, I can't see a flaw or name one negative thing in (Randolph's) game," said Marcus Camby, who had 14 points and nine rebounds in a 108-88 win over the Thunder on Nov. 19. "He has been as advertised. He's been doing it all for us, and we definitely need it. Even when he misses his shot, it seems he always knows where to go and he's able to gather it up and go back up."
After getting outrebounded in 11 of their first 15 games, the Clippers have matched or outrebounded their opponent in six of Randolph's eight starts.
Camby is averaging 10.8 points and 13.8 boards during this stretch.
While Los Angeles looks for its third straight road win, Oklahoma City will try to snap a franchise-record 10-game skid at home. The Thunder's only victory at the Ford Center was 88-85 over Minnesota on Nov. 2.
Oklahoma City (2-23) is coming off a 109-104 loss to San Antonio on Sunday. Jeff Green scored a season-high 33 points and Kevin Durant posted his third double-double in six games with 28 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, but Oklahoma City couldn't overcome a 26-point first-half deficit.
"What hurt us is that we didn't play with a sense of urgency in the first half," said Durant, who scored 18 points against the Clippers in the teams' first meeting this season. "You can't let yourself get down. It's a long game."
It's been a long 12 games for Thunder interim coach Scott Brooks since taking over for the fired P.J. Carlesimo on Nov. 22. Sunday's loss was Oklahoma City's seventh by six points or fewer under Brooks.
"The Spurs are just too good to a team to hand a huge lead like that to," said Brooks, whose team looks for its first win since defeating Memphis 111-103 in Nov. 29.
Chris Wilcox will miss his third straight game for the Thunder with a dislocated left ring finger. He averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 boards in three-plus seasons (2002-06) with the Clippers.
Los Angeles has won five of its last seven road games against the Thunder franchise.