SoCal NBA Preview

LA Lakers (9-8) at Minnesota (2-13), 5:00 pm
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) - The Los Angeles Lakers have already established a reputation as a streaky team this season. The Lakers travel to the Target Center on Tuesday to face the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves. Only 17 games into the season, streaks are nothing new to Los Angeles. The Lakers won four in a row in mid-November, only to drop their next three. They then won two straight before embarking on their current two-game skid. Further proof of the Lakers' inconsistent play has shown up on the scoreboard as the Lakers have won seven games by 10 or more points, but have also lost four by at least 13. One of those double-digit losses was a 120-96 setback at Utah on Friday, which they followed with a 104-97 home defeat to Orlando on Sunday. Minnesota, which has won just once in its last nine games, plays 11 of its 16 games this month on the road, where it is 1-6. Injuries have certainly played a role in the Timberwolves' rough start. Guard Randy Foye has yet to played this season due to a stress reaction in his left kneecap and center Theo Ratliff has missed the past eight games with knee problems. Also, guard Marko Jaric may be out indefinitely after injuring his foot in Friday's loss to San Antonio. The Lakers have won five of the last six meetings with the Wolves, including a 107-93 win on November 9.

Milwaukee (7-8) at LA Clippers (6-9), 7:30 pm
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After playing some of their best basketball earlier in the season, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers have both fallen on hard times. The Bucks and Clippers look to end their respective losing streaks when they meet at the Staples Center on Tuesday. Milwaukee reeled off five straight wins from November 14-24, including a road win over defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and a home victory over the Dallas Mavericks, which had the league's best record last season. Since their win over Dallas, however, the Bucks have lost four in a row, including double-digit home losses after a 6-0 start at home. Like Milwaukee, the Clippers had their own impressive stretch at the beginning of the season as they opened with four straight wins, but have since lost nine of 11 and are currently mired in a five-game skid. After averaging 109 points per game during their 4-0 start, Los Angeles has scored just 91.2 points since. One player that cannot be blamed for their recent inability to win is center Chris Kaman, who had 22 points and 22 rebounds in Sunday's 101-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Kaman, who never averaged more than 12 points and 9.6 rebounds during his previous four seasons with the Clippers, is averaging some impressive totals this campaign with 18.7 points and 14.1 rebounds in 2007.