Although they've stumbled on the road, the Los Angeles Clippers are showing why they're one of the NBA's best offensive clubs during their home winning streak.
To extend that run, they'll have to solve a Milwaukee Bucks team that gave them fits just a week ago.
As the Bucks look to sweep the season series for the first time in 15 years, the Clippers will try to win their seventh in a row at Staples Center with their 14th in 15 home meetings versus Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Los Angeles (18-8) has scored a NBA-best 116.2 per game on 50.4 percent shooting - including 41.8 from 3-point range - while winning its six December home games by an average of 16.5 points.
Blake Griffin ranks among the league's top scorers at home this month, averaging 28.0 points while hitting 52.7 percent of his shots. After finishing with 31 points and 16 rebounds in a 102-100 home win over Indiana, Griffin stayed hot on the road with 32 and 12 in Friday's 109-106 loss to Denver.
Jamal Crawford added 20 points and Chris Paul scored 17 with 15 assists in the Clippers' third straight road defeat.
"It's hard when you put yourself in (a 16-point) hole and fight so hard and expend so much energy to get back into it and lose it in the end," Griffin told the team's official website.
They'll try to bounce back by extending their run at home ahead of road tests at San Antonio and Atlanta early next week. Los Angeles has won the past six home matchups with the Bucks and 13 of the last 14.
Milwaukee (14-13), however, will attempt to replicate its effort from last Saturday's 111-106 home victory. It shot a season-high 56.6 percent and limited the Clippers to 42.9 percent while holding Griffin and Paul to 10 points apiece.
Griffin missed eight of 12 shots and Paul missed 10 of 15 while committing six turnovers. Griffin has averaged 26.0 points on 58.8 percent shooting in his past four home meetings, but Paul has scored 11.4 in his last five overall.
"We gave them different looks and, again, one shot," coach Jason Kidd said after the game. "When Griffin misses a shot, (DeAndre) Jordan is normally around the rim cleaning it up. We just tried to make it tough on those guys."
Milwaukee will get its top defender back in Larry Sanders, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the first meeting. Sanders served a one-game suspension in Thursday's 108-107 win at Sacramento for pushing Portland's Nicolas Batum as he elevated toward the basket a night earlier.
The Bucks, who look to sweep the season series for the first time since 1999-2000, improved to 1-1 without Jabari Parker and 2-1 on their four-game trip by shooting 13 for 23 from 3-point range.
"No one thought we would have this record but us," said guard O.J. Mayo, who had 19 points and hit three 3s. "We're a young, confident team that plays aggressive and with a lot of energy."
Brandon Knight finished with 20 points, while former Clipper Jared Dudley had 19 in Milwaukee's third straight win versus a Pacific Division opponent. Knight has scored at least 20 in four consecutive games, including 22 versus Los Angeles.
The Bucks went 7 for 11 from 3-point range against the Clippers, who have since limited opponents to 30.7 percent from long range.
