Coach Mike Dunleavy returns to his roots when the team plays its next road game against the New York Knicks. Dunleavy was a high-school standout at Nazareth Regional High in Brooklyn before leaving the city to attend the University of South Carolina.
As a senior in high school, he was named to the prestigious New York all-city team and his No. 44 jersey at Nazareth has been retired. Returning to New York has lifted Dunleavy's spirits through the years, although there was a great deal of sadness a few years ago, when his father passed away.
The Knicks are one of the few teams Dunleavy has achieved significant success against since becoming the Clippers' coach in 2003. The Clippers are 8-3 against New York under Dunleavy. That includes a 2-3 mark at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will have to wait until next season to get their next chance to beat Dunleavy and the Clippers for the first time in Los Angeles.
The Clippers swept the two-game season series against New York last year. After losing the first two times he brought the Clippers to Madison Square Garden in 2004 and 2005, Dunleavy has led the team to victories in two of the past three years.
Any hope the Clippers can grasp at is helpful. They have lost 11 of their past 13 games overall and nine consecutive road games.
This trip still includes two more games after they play the Knicks -- a Texas tango on back-to-back nights against the Spurs and Rockets.
The Clippers are a combined 1-5 against those teams this season, the lone victory coming against the Rockets. Overall under Dunleavy, the Clippers are a combined 6-36 against Houston and San Antonio.
CELTICS 90, CLIPPERS 77: Former Clipper Eddie House led a three-point shooting attack that helped the Celtics break away from the Clippers after a close first half. House nailed two of Boston's seven three-pointers.
