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Clippers eye sweep of Thunder

Apr 14, 2009 - 9:37 PM By Anthony Giornalista Stats Senior Writer

Oklahoma City (22-59) at LA Clippers (19-62), 10:30 p.m. EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Not much has gone right for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Managing to dominate the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder offers little solace.

Concluding yet another terrible season, the Clippers look to sweep the Thunder franchise for the first time in their history Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (19-62) was making progress earlier this decade, improving in four straight seasons and making the playoffs in 2006. But the Clippers have regressed each season since and will finish with their worst record since going 15-67 in 1999-00.

Even matchups with league-worst Sacramento have been tough for Los Angeles, which went 1-3 in that series. Against Oklahoma City (22-59), though, the Clippers have gone 3-0 and have a chance to sweep the season series with that franchise for the first time.

The Thunder swept Los Angeles eight times before moving from Seattle prior to this season.

Los Angeles, trying to avoid finishing with fewer than 20 wins for the seventh time in franchise history, has lost 11 of 13.

Though Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman and DeAndre Jordan all had strong games in the post, the Clippers were outrebounded 50-36 in a 106-85 loss to Utah on Monday night.

"They crushed us on the boards. That's the story of the game," coach Mike Dunleavy said.

Camby, who has been bothered by a sore left ankle in recent weeks, had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kaman, who missed most of the season due to a left foot injury, had 12 points and seven boards.

Jordan has made strides after being selected in the second round of last year's draft. The 7-footer is coming off one of his best games of the season, posting 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Fellow rookie Eric Gordon has been a bright spot for the Clippers all season, averaging 16.0 points - 21.2 in his last five games. The 20-year-old swingman, selected seventh overall, had a career-high 41 points in a 107-104 win over Oklahoma City on Jan. 23.

Second-year forward Al Thornton had a season-high 34 points for the Clippers in that contest. He will miss his fifth straight game due to a torn tendon in his right shoulder, which won't require surgery.

Los Angeles forward Zach Randolph's status is uncertain. He sat out Monday due to a concussion suffered in a loss to Portland on Saturday night.

Randolph has averaged 20.9 points in 39 games since being acquired in a trade with New York.

Oklahoma City has lost nine of its last 11 even though it has remained relatively healthy, getting outscored by an average of 19.3 points in the defeats. The Thunder shot 40.2 percent in a 113-83 loss to Portland on Monday night.

Kevin Durant, averaging 25.3 points, was held to 10 on 5-for-15 shooting. The star swingman had perhaps his best game of the season in the last matchup with Los Angeles, topping Gordon's big night with 46 points and 15 rebounds.

Thunder rookie point guard Russell Westbrook struggled in that game, scoring 11 on 4-for-13 shooting. Westbrook, a native of Los Angeles who starred at UCLA, is averaging 10.7 points - 4.6 below his season average - while shooting 34.3 percent in three games versus the Clippers.