Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers are in dire need of a win Monday night as they continue their road trip from hell in Milwaukee against Andrew Bogut and the Bucks. The Clippers have proven on this trip that any road win will be a challenge, as they have lost successive games against teams that have lost 26 straight and 16 of 17 games, respectively. That the Bucks have lost only seven of their last eight games make them a relative superpower in terms of Clipper opponents.
Blake Griffin had 21 points and 15 rebounds in Sunday's loss to Toronto, and on the first six games of the road trip Griffin is averaging 20.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Both numbers are below his season averages, and Griffin is shooting just 45.6% from the field on the road trip. Baron Davis is averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 assists per contest on the road trip, and is shooting 44.1% from the field, including 40.0% from three-point range.
The Bucks' game is defense, as they are fourth in the league in points allowed (93.0 per game) and fifth in defensive efficiency (102.9 points per 100 possessions). Milwaukee is last in both points per game (91.2) and offensive efficiency (100.9 points per 100 possessions). They have a remarkable scoring balance when they do score, with four different players averaging over 13 points per game. Brandon Jennings leads the Bucks with 15.6 points per contest.
Former Clipper Corey Maggette is listed as day-to-day with lower back pain. He left Milwaukee's last game, on Saturday night against Indiana, after six minutes. The Clippers are just 4-20 on the road this season, while the Bucks are 12-12 at home. The Clippers beat the Bucks 105-98 at Staples Center on January 31. Los Angeles has just one win in seven games since then.
For more information on today's game, be sure to read Clips Nation.