Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 10, 2017 ) L.A. Clippers 111, Oklahoma City 120

Lou Williams is on a scoring spree and it is equating to victories for the Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran shooting guard looks to top 30 points for the fifth time in the past seven games and Los Angeles strives for its seventh win in the last eight contests when it hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

Williams is averaging 30.8 points over the past six games after putting up 33 in Tuesday's 113-105 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the club's latest solid performance. "We want to make the playoffs," Williams said after the win. "It's really important, right? But we're in a good rhythm right now. We're playing really well." Oklahoma City is also playing well with seven victories in the past nine games and it shot a season-best 60.2 percent from the field, and established a season best for points scored in Wednesday's 133-96 trouncing of the Los Angeles Lakers. Reigning MVP Russell Westbrook had 20 points and 12 assists to run his streak of consecutive 20-point outings to 11 while reaching double digits in assists for the sixth time in seven games.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE THUNDER (20-17): Oklahoma City produced a season-best 36 assists and had four players score 20 or more points while steamrolling the Lakers. One of the players enjoying a big game was rookie shooting guard Terrance Ferguson, who made his first career start in place of injured Andre Roberson (knee) and scored a season-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting - including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. "We're having fun. That is what it is," Ferguson said in a television interview after the rout. "We picked it up as a team in December but we're excited on the court and smiling at each other and saying 'good job.'"

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (17-19): Los Angeles has won six consecutive home games and nine of its last 13 overall contests as it closes in on the .500 mark after getting off to a poor start. The return of standout power forward Blake Griffin from a knee injury is also a big factor as he has averaged 23.3 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds in his first three contests after missing 14 straight. The Clippers got a surprise stellar performance from journeyman guard C.J. Williams against the Grizzlies as he scored a career-best 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. SF Paul George scored 42 points in 42 minutes as the Thunder notched a 120-111 home victory over the Clippers on Nov. 10.

2. Los Angeles PG Austin Rivers (Achilles) is listed as questionable after sitting out the past two games.

3. George is averaging 26.4 points on 44-of-75 shooting over his last five contests.

PREDICTION: Clippers 119, Thunder 114