LA Lakers At LA Clippers

While Elton Brand recovers from injury, the Los Angeles Clippers supporting cast, led by Chris Kaman and Corey Maggette, will have to carry this team to contention in the Pacific.

Until 2006, the Clippers had only earned one winning season in the franchise's history in L.A. NBA tickets to see the Clippers used to be easily available, as basketball fans in the Los Angeles area were more inclined to root for the more successful L.A. Lakers. However, in '06, the Clippers made it deep into the Western Conference playoffs, and look to be headed there again in the near future.

On the other side, after two days off to recover from their monster game and victory on Wednesday night in Phoenix, the Lakers will refocus on their own backyard with an intra-city matchup with the Clippers. It’s a designated Clippers home game at Staples Center on Saturday night, so there will be plenty of supporters in red, white and blue.

The Lakers and Clippers have only played once this season: a 113-92 Lakers’ romp on Dec. 16. The teams split the season series, 2-2, for the previous three seasons.

Lakers forward Lamar Odom has had some trouble in recent years facing his original team, the Clippers, getting ejected from one particularly memorable game. Only two Clippers remain from Odom’s tenure with the team: Elton Brand, who is injured, and Corey Maggette.

Tennessee at Memphis

For nearly a year, John Calipari resolved not to put in the game tape from Dec. 6, 2006, when his Memphis Tigers were blitzed by Tennessee, 76-58. But finally, Calipari is giving in.

“I’m putting in that tape,” Calipari said, “and I’ll get sick to my stomach.”

Make no mistake, though plenty is on the line Saturday at FedExForum when No. 1 Memphis hosts No. 2 Tennessee, it’s mostly about revenge. Despite the Tigers’ 33-4 record last season and their appearance in the Elite Eight, there is still some lingering bitterness from last season’s game in Knoxville, which quickly developed into Memphis’ most embarrassing loss of the year.

Though nobody will say it publicly, the truth is that Memphis and Tennessee simply don’t like each other very much. The players don’t like each other, and the coaches definitely don’t like each other. So for 26-0 Memphis, its biggest hurdle toward a possible undefeated regular season would clearly be the most satisfying one of all.

“They just beat us,” leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts said. “They beat us fair and square. It’s no animosity at all.”

Of course, the Vols also beat Memphis at Thompson-Boling Arena, where they rarely lose. Now, it’s the Tigers’ turn at FedExForum, where they have a 47-game winning streak. For Memphis, hosting the biggest basketball game in the state’s history isn’t such a bad deal.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Calipari said. “My pregame talk is going to be, ‘Go get ‘em, boys.’ I don’t know what will happen Saturday. We’re playing the most talented team to ever come in our building, so who knows. But I like what I’m going to war with.”