Los Angeles Clippers (7-5) at Charlotte Hornets (4-10), 7 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets are off to a disappointing 4-10 start and a tough three-game stretch against Western Conference opponents looms with the Los Angeles Clippers scheduled to visit The Hive Monday night.
Portland and Golden State will make a stop at Time Warner Cable Arena, where the Hornets have lost two in a row and sport a 3-3 mark.
The Hornets are winless in their last five games overall and have just one win in the past eight. They are coming off Sunday's 94-93 road setback to the Miami Heat, as Chris Bosh's baseline jumper with 31 seconds left proved to be the difference for the hosts.
Kemba Walker missed a runner at the other end for Charlotte, which was by Al Jefferson's 22 points and 12 rebounds. Lance Stephenson and Walker scored 17 and 16 points, respectively, in the loss. Charlotte's last three defeats have been by five points or fewer.
"We're playing well enough to win every game," said Jefferson, who leads the Hornets with 21.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in 38 of the last 39 regular-season games. "It's just not going our way right now."
Jefferson will face a tough Clippers team and two outstanding big men in Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Griffin leads Los Angeles with 23.1 ppg and Jordan is grabbing a team-best 12.2 rebounds per game.
The Clippers have one of the top point guards to distribute the ball in Chris Paul, who's posting an average of 18.0 points and a team-high 9.9 assists. Paul had 22 points in Sunday's 107-91 loss to the mighty Memphis Grizzlies and Jamal Crawford added 19 off the bench.
"The Grizzlies seem to have that edge," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.
Griffin scored 12 points and Jordan was ineffective with only two points and three boards in 20 minutes. Los Angeles had won two in a row and three of four games, and is 2-1 on a seven-game road trip.
Detroit, Houston and Utah are future destinations for the Clippers, who are averaging 102.4 ppg and allowing 101.2 points on defense.
The Clippers and Hornets split two games last season with each team winning at home. Los Angeles is 7-2 in the last nine against Charlotte.