Sacramento @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 11, 2018 ) L.A. Clippers 121, Sacramento 115

The Los Angeles Clippers are checking off wins on the court even while continuing to lose key players to injury. The Clippers hope to have center DeAndre Jordan back on the court when they try to earn their fourth straight win by hosting the Sacramento Kings in the back half of a home-and-home set.

Los Angeles lost Jordan to a sprained ankle in Thursday's 121-115 triumph, just as it was getting power forward Blake Griffin (concussion) back from a two-game absence. "It's tough. You just keep dropping guys every game," Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters. "Every game someone is stepping in for us, too, and that's the blessing." The Kings gave up 43 points in the second quarter and 72 in the first half while dropping their third straight and eighth in the last 10 games. "We've got to start games and play with a lot more effort, a lot more aggressiveness, a lot more motor," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "Those things are what makes defensive players and defensive mindsets and we did not do that."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE KINGS (13-28): Sacramento rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 22 points on Thursday but was not interested in his personal accomplishments. "The first thing we need to do here is, it's not about me," Bogdanovic told the Sacramento Bee. "It's about the team and it's about the culture. If we create a culture, everyone will be better 50 percent or more. If that day I score, or Buddy (Hield), I don't know, if we grow as a team, that's the most important thing." Bogdanovic was one of three reserves to score at least 14 points in the loss and is averaging 15.8 points in five games this month.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (20-21): Lou Williams followed up his career-high 50-point effort in a win over the Golden State Warriors with 30 points on Thursday, but the role players on Los Angeles are stepping up as well. Montrezl Harrell scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting off the bench against the Kings while former G Leaguer Tyrone Wallace made a key steal in the final seconds and dunked to seal the win. Griffin collected 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return and joked with reporters of Jordan's injury, "It's par for the course for us this year. One guy comes back, one guy has to go out."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jordan and Clippers PG C.J. Williams (ankle) are both questionable for Saturday.

2. Lou Williams is averaging 38 points over the last three games and scored over 20 in 11 straight.

3. Sacramento C Kosta Koufos recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Clippers 114, Kings 107