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The Clippers built a comfortable cushion in the Pacific Division after rattling off 17 consecutive wins, but after back-to-back losses, Vinny Del Negro's squad has to be a little worried about a surging Golden State Warriors team.
The Warriors (22-10) knocked off the Clippers (25-8), 115-94, on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena and pulled to within 2.5 games of the Pacific's top team. The Clippers have also dropped out of the top spot in the Western Conference during the two-game skid, trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies by a half a game.
The Los Angeles Lakers' battle with inconsistency has kept them stuck in the middle of the Pacific Division standings. Kobe Bryant and company trail the Clippers by a whopping nine games, and are one game out of the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference Standings.
The Lakers (15-16) and Clippers will square off on Friday night at Staples Center. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. PT and the game will be televised on ESPN.