CLIPPERS’ WEEK AHEAD

3 GAMES

Wednesday at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. PST, Channel 5 -- The Clippers’ annual rite of spring, playing out the string, looks good to opponents needing a boost down the stretch. The Pistons, in Larry Brown’s first season as coach, probably can’t catch the Indiana Pacers for the Central Division lead and the league’s best record, but a game against the Clippers is usually good for building a little momentum.

Friday at Chicago, 5:30 p.m. PST, Fox Sports Net 2 -- The Clippers have won the last seven against the Bulls, including a 102-92 victory Jan. 27 at Staples Center. The Clippers actually looked good in overpowering Chicago that night, but things are different on the road.

Sunday vs. Utah, 6:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net 2 -- Utah and Denver have been playing leapfrog recently, trading places as they jockey for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. A good deal is at stake, with Utah hoping to show it is capable of reaching the postseason without Karl Malone and John Stockton, and Denver trying to prove off-season decisions to sign Andre Miller and draft Carmelo Anthony put the Nuggets on the right track after years of misery.

-- Elliott Teaford