• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Clippers-Hornets Preview

Jan 13, 2010 - 6:46 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (17-19) at New Orleans (19-17), 8:00 p.m. EDT

If the Los Angeles Clippers are going to snap their season-high five-game road losing streak, then they'll likely need a healthy Chris Kaman in the lineup.

The visiting Clippers hope to have their injured star back on the court while also trying to avoid a 12th consecutive loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Kaman, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, sat out with a sore back as Los Angeles (17-19) had its four-game winning streak snapped with a 104-102 loss at Memphis on Tuesday.

The 7-foot Kaman, averaging a career-high 20.4 points with 9.4 rebounds this season, aggravated the injury during warmups, and it's uncertain if he'll be ready for this contest. Kaman, who missed his first game this season after injuries limited him to 31 in 2008-09, is averaging just 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 17 career games against New Orleans.

DeAndre Jordan, Kaman's replacement, had a career-high 23 points with seven boards against the Grizzlies.

The Clippers are 5-11 on the road and will be facing one of the tougher home teams in the league. The Hornets (19-17) are 14-3 in New Orleans, where they've won six in a row and 12 of 13 overall.

Los Angeles' last win on the road and overall against New Orleans was a 100-90 decision on Jan. 8, 2007.

The Clippers have allowed an average of 111.0 points in two losses to the Hornets this season. Al Thornton had 30 points and Baron Davis added 23 with nine assists in their 110-102 road defeat Nov. 17.

Davis, averaging 20.8 points and 8.4 assists in 12 career games against New Orleans, recorded his 10th triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Tuesday. He's the first Clipper to post a triple-double since Elton Brand on Jan. 26, 2003, against Indiana.

Despite Davis' effort and a 53.8-percent shooting night, the Clippers blew an 18-point lead in a game delayed 36 minutes by a water line break in the fire sprinkler system.

"(The delay) had nothing to do with us losing," said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, whose team scored 66 points in the paint but 12 total in the fourth quarter.

While the Clippers reached 100 points for the first time in five road games, they've allowed 108.2 in their last six away from home.

New Orleans was averaging 100.0 points per contest during a season-high six-game winning streak that was snapped with a 96-92 loss at Philadelphia on Monday.

Emeka Okafor had 20 points with 11 rebounds, David West chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 13 points and 14 assists for the Hornets, who rallied back from 16 points down despite shooting 40.7 percent.

"We battled back three times," Hornets coach Jeff Bower said. "It was very difficult to fight back and come up short. It was hard to overcome."

Paul is averaging 20.0 points and 12.0 assists in his last five games against the Clippers.

New Orleans will try to win seven straight at home for the first time since an 11-game run from Feb. 27-April 6, 2008.