Clippers vs. Lakers preview

The Clippers are on their final three games of a nine-game stretch. On Wednesday evening, they play the Lakers, their Staples Center neighbors.

The Clippers are in sixth place in the Western Conference with a record of 23-12 while the Lakers are in 14th place with a record of 11-24.

The Clippers have won four consecutive games and eight of the last nine against the Lakers. But the Lakers wouldn’t exactly call it a rivalry, considering they have 16 NBA championships, while the Clippers have never won a title.

Lakers superstar guard Kobe Bryant, who rested Monday against Portland, is expected to play Wednesday against the Clippers. Forward Wesley Johnson, however, is expected to miss the game because of a strained right hip flexor.

The Clippers, who have won three of their last four games, are coming off of a 107-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, they committed 21 turnovers and allowed the Hawks to make 13 of their 27 three-point attempts.

The Clippers are 4-2 during this home stretch. The last time they played the Lakers, on Halloween, they won, 118-111, by outscoring the Lakers, 32-21, in the fourth quarter.