San Antonio @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 18, 2017 ) L.A. Clippers 91, San Antonio 109

The Los Angeles Clippers are running out of time to land a Western Conference playoff spot and they blew a 16-point lead while losing their last contest. The task doesn't get any easier Tuesday, when Los Angeles hosts the suddenly hot San Antonio Spurs, who have won eight of their past 10 games.

The Clippers seemed to be on their way to a home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday before collapsing and suffering a 111-104 loss that leaves them two games behind the eighth-place New Orleans Pelicans -- with the ninth-place Denver Nuggets in between -- with only five games remaining. "We have to keep fighting," forward Tobias Harris told reporters after Sunday's defeat. "We need to stay with it to see what we can get." San Antonio is sitting in fourth place after drilling the West-leading Houston Rockets 100-83 on Sunday for its eighth victory in the past 10 games. "We've been through some ups and downs this season, but we're picking up at the right time," veteran small forward Rudy Gay told reporters after the impressive win over the Rockets. "There is no better time than this. This is when teams make or break themselves."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, KENS (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE SPURS (45-32): Gay scored 21 points on 9-of-13 against the Rockets for just his fifth 20-point effort of the season. The 31-year-old is averaging only 11.3 points but he could play a big role in the postseason as he is now fully recovered from last season's ruptured Achilles tendon and the availability of star forward Kawhi Leonard (quadriceps) remains unknown. "I guess they're back," Gay told reporters of his athletic skills after Sunday's victory. "I think I told someone that last game. I'm really starting to feel like myself."

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (41-36): Los Angeles plays four of its final five games at home and another factor that helps is the next four games are against other teams in the playoff mix -- San Antonio, at Utah, Denver and New Orleans. The latter three foes are teams the Clippers could potentially catch if the squad can bounce back from the untimely consecutive setbacks. "We've been in critical mode for a few weeks now," shooting guard Lou Williams told reporters after Sunday's loss. "This one doesn't hurt more than the ones that we lost last week or the week before that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Spurs won this season's previous two meetings by an average of 15.5 points.

2. Los Angeles PF Danilo Gallinari was just 1-of-9 shooting against Indiana in his second game back from a hand injury.

3. San Antonio PF LaMarcus Aldridge recorded 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Rockets for his 26th double-double of the campaign.

PREDICTION: Clippers 107, Spurs 105