Los Angeles @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2016 ) Indiana 111, L.A. Clippers 102

The Los Angeles Clippers scored their way out of a losing streak with a 127-120 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday but need to string some wins together to get back into the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The road trip doesn’t get any easier on Friday, when the Clippers visit the Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles lost to four straight teams above them in the standings before going into Milwaukee and shooting 52.3 percent from the floor, including 15-of-30 from 3-point range, in the win, which came after the team held a players-only meeting. "Listen, I've been here for four years and I've only ever been to the playoffs," Clippers guard Austin Rivers told reporters. "I told (DeAndre Jordan) the same thing. I said, 'I'm not trying to go backwards.' And if we do lose and we don't make the playoffs, we at least go into the summer like, 'You know what? We gave it everything we got.'" The Pacers are drawing closer to clinching a playoff spot in the East but are battling for position and stumbling of late with losses in three of the last four. Indiana enters play on Thursday in a tie for fourth place in the East, 1 1/2 games behind the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (38-33): Jordan is the last star remaining from a Los Angeles squad that once also had Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and he is doing his best to try to carry the team back to the playoffs. Jordan collected 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 22 rebounds against the Bucks and is averaging 18.5 rebounds in March. Rivers backed up his talk in the meeting by adding 22 points in the win and going 5-of-9 from 3-point range.

ABOUT THE PACERS (41-31): Indiana had to break up a three-game homestand to play a makeup game in New Orleans on Wednesday and suffered a 96-92 loss. "I just thought that we didn't really do a good job of executing," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "We didn't show any poise out there tonight. We were playing too fast. Everybody was taking quick shots and just settling for ... I don't know. Once again, we just get out there and throw the ball toward the basket and not executing offensively." The loss dropped Indiana, which is fighting for homecourt advantage in the first round, to 17-18 on the road.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Clippers SF Danilo Gallinari (broken hand) will not play on Friday but could return early next week.

2. Pacers C Domantas Sabonis (ankle) sat out the last four games and is doubtful for Friday.

3. Indiana, which visits Los Angeles on April 1, swept the two-game series last season.

PREDICTION: Pacers 106, Clippers 104