Game of the week: Oklahoma City at Clippers

By Ben Bolch

April 14, 2012 12 AM PT

Looking ahead

Oklahoma City at Clippers

Monday at 7:30 p.m. PDT.

TV: Prime, NBA TV

The Clippers have been dismissed in some precincts as a cute little story that will come to an abrupt end in the playoffs. Try telling that to Oklahoma City, which has lost two of three meetings this season between franchises enjoying a swift ascent in the Western Conference.

Chris Paul has been particularly bothersome to the Thunder, collecting 26 points and 14 assists on Jan. 30 during a 112-100 Clippers victory and scoring nine of the Clippers’ final 11 points Wednesday during a 100-98 triumph in Oklahoma City.

Another victory by the Clippers in the series could give them a psychological edge should the teams meet in the playoffs.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Game of the week: Oklahoma City at Clippers

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