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The Clippers and Lakers are set to meet Friday, but before that can happen, the former must get a two-game West Coast road trip out of the way.
The Clippers will carry their 17-game winning streak into Denver on Tuesday, matching up against a Nuggets team they already handled, 112-100, on Christmas Day. Closing out the game will be a point of emphasis in this matchup after the Clippers failed to break 20 points in the final quarter of their last meeting.
The following night, the Clippers will be in Golden State looking for some revenge against a Warriors teams who handed them their first loss of the season back on Nov. 3. The Warriors are the only Pacific Division team that the Clippers have lost to this season, so they'll surely be looking to send a message, even on short rest.
As for the other team in Los Angeles, the Lakers will taking the court just once before Friday's marquee showdown: A Tuesday matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers already took care of business in Philadelphia this season, 111-98, and with the 76ers being 5-10 on the road this year, it's looking like they shouldn't have too much trouble repeating the feat.