Brooklyn @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 12, 2018 ) L.A. Clippers 114, Brooklyn 101

After picking on one losing team from New York, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to take advantage of another when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The Clippers bounced back from a loss to Western Conference-leading Houston by routing the Knicks 128-105 on Friday night.

The team's 10th victory in the last 14 games pulled it within a half-game of the eighth and final playoff spot - and just 2 1/2 games out of third - in the West entering Saturday's action. "Now, in the second half, I thought we played really hard," coach Doc Rivers told reporters after his team used a 35-18 third quarter to take charge. "The great part of our team, if we get stops, then we start running. And when we start running, it puts a lot of pressure on." Los Angeles picked up a 114-101 win at Brooklyn prior to the All-Star break, part of the Nets' 2-14 slide. Brooklyn allowed a game-tying basket in the closing seconds of regulation and then stumbled in overtime in a 116-111 loss at Sacramento on Thursday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE NETS (20-43): Brooklyn has dropped seven straight road games overall and it is 3-11 away from home against the West after being outscored 43-32 after the third quarter on Thursday. "In the fourth quarter and overtime we struggled to stop them," coach Kenny Atkinson said of the Kings. "They were turning the corners, they were in our paint way too much. We just couldn't close the deal." Three players - DeMarre Carroll, Jarrett Allen and D'Angelo Russell - finished with double-doubles in the loss, with Russell tying a career high with 11 assists.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (33-28): Despite the 23-point win, Rivers was not pleased with the manner in which his team came out of the gate against the Knicks by falling behind 60-57 at the break. "It felt like we were just going to try and outscore them," Rivers told the media. "I asked them if it was an All-Star Game. Just no defense." Lou Williams led six players in double figures with 21 points while Montrezl Harrell collected 19 on 8-of-9 shooting, and he is averaging 18.7 points on 72.7 percent shooting over his last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Williams made 42.7 percent of his 3-pointers in December, 36 percent in January, 28.1 percent in February and he opened March by going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc against the Knicks.

2. Brooklyn C Jahlil Okafor (illness) is expected to return after a five-game absence.

3. The Clippers have recorded six straight wins against the Nets at home.

PREDICTION: Clippers 118, Nets 105