Milwaukee @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 21, 2018 ) L.A. Clippers 127, Milwaukee 120

The Los Angeles Clippers will throw together a performance every few games that makes them look like a dangerous team in a first-round playoff series, but they still have to get to the postseason. The Clippers will try to take advantage of a rare home game when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Los Angeles is making a brief stop at home before hitting the road for two more games and finished up a 2-2 trip on Sunday by overcoming an 18-point deficit and knocking off the East-leading Toronto Raptors 117-106. The Clippers are running out of time to make up ground in the playoff race and sit two games behind the eighth-place Minnesota Timberwolves with the Denver Nuggets in between. Los Angeles' other win on the road trip came at Milwaukee on Wednesday, a game during which Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left in the first half due to an ankle injury. Antetokounmpo sat out the next game but returned on Sunday and scored 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting while adding 10 rebounds in a 106-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs despite not being 100 percent.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (39-34): Milwaukee is occupying the No. 7 spot in the East and is one game behind the Washington Wizards for the No. 6 slot as it embarks on a four-game west coast trip. The Bucks offered Antetokounmpo plenty of help on Sunday as Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe combined for 42 points on 17-of-30 shooting and nine assists in the win. Middleton is quietly one of the most consistent scorers in the East this season and is averaging 23.4 points over the last eight games to push his season mark to 20.1.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (39-34): Los Angeles put on a love fest at Toronto as the whole bench got involved and offered up hugs and high-fives as encouragement on Sunday. Plenty of that love was directed at shooting guard Lou Williams, who scored 12 straight points during a key stretch in the fourth quarter and finished with 26. "We've had so much adversity, I think it's brought us closer," Williams told reporters. "I think that's just the personalities that we have. We congratulate each other when we do special things. We don't have any disconnects when it comes to relationships. So, when we accomplish things, I think it's important for everybody to be on the same accord. So that felt good. We got a lift from everybody."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Clippers SF Danilo Gallinari (hand) sat out the last 16 games but is expected to return this week.

2. Bucks C John Henson is 14-of-23 from the floor over the last three games.

3. Los Angeles C DeAndre Jordan collected 25 points and 22 rebounds in last week's win at Milwaukee.

PREDICTION: Clippers 116, Bucks 111