Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 16, 2017 ) Oklahoma City 98, L.A. Clippers 120

The Los Angeles Clippers are tumbling in the wrong direction after a 4-0 start and look to reverse their fortunes when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Los Angeles has dropped three straight games and five of its last six while the Thunder are also spiraling downward with four consecutive setbacks.

Both teams held long meetings after their latest defeats, as Oklahoma City again displayed chemistry issues while suffering a 102-94 road loss against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. "It was just good to get everything out on the table," Thunder forward Paul George said after the postgame meeting. "Especially where we're at right now, it's no good if we're bottling it up." Los Angeles allowed 15 3-pointers in Tuesday's 120-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs to continue a recent trend of subpar defensive performances. Making matters worse it that pesky point guard Patrick Beverley (knee) was sent back to Los Angeles and will sit out at least two games, a bad development in that Beverley has always willing to mix it up with Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FSN Oklahoma

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (5-5): Tensions ran high during a players-only meeting that lasted nearly 30 minutes after the loss to the Spurs. Some of the dialogue had to with the shoddy defense that has allowed an average of 115.2 points over the past five games, including 141 in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. "We have no excuse to be honest," guard Austin Rivers told reporters. "We have the best defensive five in the NBA. We have the best defensive point guard (Beverley) in the NBA. I consider myself an elite, top five shooting-defensive guard in the league. We have too many good defenders. We should be a top five defensive team without a doubt."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-7): Getting badly outplayed in the fourth quarter by the Nuggets prompted a postgame team meeting of more than 30 minutes as a revamped Oklahoma City squad continues to underachieve. Offseason acquisitions Carmelo Anthony and George are still trying to fit in with reigning MVP Westbrook and the loss to the Nuggets was another example of the failure of the trio to mesh as George took just one shot in the final stanza. While Anthony (24,385 career points) scored 28 to pass Allen Iverson (24,368) and move into 24th place on the NBA all-time scoring list, Westbrook (6-of-22) and George (6-of-14) tallied only 13 points apiece and Westbrook had a season-low five assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The teams split four meetings last season with each winning once on the road.

2. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams (calf) departed late in Thursday's game and is questionable to play versus the Clippers.

3. SF Danilo Gallinari (hip) will sit out for the second straight contest, while Rivers (ankle) is questionable after being injured in Thursday's practice.

PREDICTION: Thunder 114, Clippers 112