• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Griffin, Clippers invade Washington

Mar 12, 2011 - 4:04 PM (Sports Network) - Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers were sent to the canvas Friday night in Newark, NJ and hope to regroup this evening against the Washington Wizards in the continuation of a five-game road trip in DC.

The Clippers lost for the first time this month and had a four-game winning streak stopped with a 102-98 overtime setback to the New Jersey Nets. Chris Kaman had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Griffin also netted 23 points and Randy Foye gathered 19 points and seven assists for LA.

Los Angeles was outscored, 31-16, in the third quarter and 8-4 in the extra period to fall to 7-26 as the visitor. It also was coming off a huge victory over arguably the East's best team, the Boston Celtics, in Beantown.

"We just gave it away," Griffin said after the Nets loss. "We just didn't play the way we should in the second half."

Griffin is still one double-double away of matching Elton Brand's Los Angeles record of 55 established during the 2001-02 season. Bob McAdoo holds the franchise record with 69 double-doubles set in 1974-75, when the franchise was formerly known as the Buffalo Braves. Griffin passed the 53 double-doubles mark set by Michael Cage in 1986-87.

LA will close out the trek in Memphis on Monday.

Washington will resume a three-game homestand which began with Tuesday's 95-76 loss versus the Milwaukee Bucks at the Verizon Center.

Jordan Crawford scored a career-high 22 points in a reserve role and Maurice Evans ended with 11 points, as the Wizards lost for the ninth time in 10 tries. Nick Young and John Wall had 10 points apiece for the Wizards, who fell to 15-18 at home.

"I don't think anybody, including myself, played well at all," Wall said. "They basically got any shot they wanted, whenever they wanted it."

Wall also had nine rebounds and seven assists, and leads all rookies in assists per game (8.8 apg) and is second among all first-year players in points per game (15.5 ppg). He is averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds in his previous eight contests.

JaVale McGee is four rebounds shy of 1,000 for his career. Wizards forward Andray Blatche left Tuesday's game with 8:46 left in the first quarter with a sprained right shoulder and is day-to-day.

The Wizards will also welcome Oklahoma City to the nation's capital.

LA and Washington are meeting for the first time since the Clippers swept a home-and-home series a year ago. The Clippers have won the past three meetings between the two clubs.