It was probably an unthinkable feat when they lost Blake Griffin this past weekend, but the Los Angeles Clippers have a chance to sweep a five-game road trip for the first time.
They need only to top the last-place New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night.
Griffin was expected to miss at least two weeks when he tore a tendon in his left quad in a 94-84 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. Instead of folding without their leading scorer, the Clippers (20-13) have extended their win streak to four and matched their 4-0 start.
The team's reserves have played a significant role, averaging 48.3 points and 17 more than in the first 30 games. They scored 47 in a 122-117 win over Charlotte on Wednesday.
Austin Rivers had a season-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting while starting guard J.J. Redick hit 8 3-pointers and scored 26 to lead six players in double figures.
"It's by committee," point guard Chris Paul said. "When you're missing somebody as big as Blake is for us, we're just trying to make do and stay afloat until he gets back."
In their attempt to make history, the Clippers will seek to end New Orleans' season-high three-game home win streak. The Pelicans (10-21) edged Houston 110-108 on Saturday for their lone victory in their last three overall contests.
They were beaten 104-89 in Orlando on Monday with Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans their only starters in double figures. Eric Gordon had three points on 1-of-6 shooting after scoring 26 and making 10 of 12 shots against Houston.
New Orleans went 13 of 24 from 3-point range versus the Rockets and 5 of 20 on Monday.
"We have games where we're really locked down, very unselfish and everyone scores, but we're just not consistent with that," Gordon said. "We don't do it day in and day out each game and when things don't go right, it takes a toll on our whole team."
The Clippers have won 11 of 14 over New Orleans and earned a 111-90 victory in the first meeting this season Nov. 27. Doc Rivers rested his starters in the fourth quarter of that game while Davis was forced to leave in the third after bruising his right knee in a collision with Paul.
Redick had 20 points in that game and is averaging 18.3 while shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc in his last four matchups.
The Clippers have lost in each of their last two visits to New Orleans, and the Pelicans prevailed 108-103 in the latest Jan. 30 even with Davis sitting out because of a strained left adductor.
The closest the Clippers have come to sweeping a road trip of five games or longer was a 6-1 mark Nov. 19-29, 2014. They swept a four-game trip Dec. 11-17, 2012.
Gordon is averaging 22.3 points in his last three games against his former team and had 28 points in the most recent matchup in New Orleans. The Clippers acquired Paul in the Dec. 14, 2011, trade that sent him to the Big Easy.
