LOS ANGELES – A look at three key numbers related to Sunday’s game at Staples Center between New Orleans and the LA Clippers (8 p.m. Central, Fox Sports New Orleans, ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM):
34-31: New Orleans advantage in bench scoring over LA during the Nov. 14 head-to-head meeting, a 132-127 victory for the homestanding Pelicans. Although the Clippers (11-5) are known for being one of the deepest teams in the league, as a result of injuries, they had to move Lou Williams from his customary sixth-man role into the starting five Nov. 14, while Terance Mann made the first start of his NBA career. Clippers reserve Rodney McGruder made a nice impact by drilling five three-pointers among his 20 points, but no other LA sub netted more than six points. On the New Orleans bench, Frank Jackson posted 23 points in 23 minutes; Jaxson Hayes supplied nine points in only 13 minutes. Kawhi Leonard did not play for the Clippers; seventh man Montrezl Harrell made one of his two starts this season. According to Clippers PR, LA’s bench has outscored the opposition in 14 of the team’s 16 games, but one of the two exceptions came against the Pelicans.
10: Clippers ranking among the 30 NBA teams in offensive and defensive efficiency, a testament to how balanced they are as a team, as well as their potential to eventually move near the top of both categories when they have more time to gel on the court. All-Star wings Leonard and Paul George have only been together for two games (Clippers home wins over Boston and Houston), putting up extremely stingy defensive numbers in those games. With Leonard and George on the floor – along with fellow starters Mo Harkless, Patrick Beverley and Ivica Zubac – LA has a defensive rating of 80. Overall, the Clippers’ defensive rating was 103.7 against the Celtics and Rockets, two of the league’s more potent offensive teams. New Orleans is No. 26 in defensive efficiency this season, but the Pelicans (6-10) rank 18th since Nov. 9. Over that timeframe, they’ve won five of eight games, after starting the season 1-7.
3, 10-1: Something has to give Sunday in Southern California, because New Orleans has won each of its last three road matchups against the Clippers, but LA is an impressive 10-1 at home early in ’19-20, with the lone blemish coming against a powerful Milwaukee team. Neither Leonard nor George played in that game vs. the Bucks, yet LA only lost by five points. The Clips have already beaten the Lakers, Utah, Boston, Toronto, Boston and Houston on their redesigned home floor and are 4-0 entering the final game of a five-game homestand. New Orleans began the season 0-4 on the road, but has split its last two road contests, prevailing in Charlotte and Phoenix. Sunday’s game will mark the Pelicans’ fourth back-to-back this season; they are 2-1 with no days of rest, posting wins over the Hornets and Warriors, along with a loss in Houston.
