The Los Angeles Clippers have won three straight games, handily defeating the Sacramento Kings 107-98 on Friday night to go 5-4 entering the 2024-25 season.

The Clippers begin the second leg of a back-to-back, returning home to face the Toronto Raptors. Norman Powell led Los Angeles in scoring for the fourth straight game Friday, dropping 31 points and 12 rebounds, averaging 25.7 points per game on the year.

LA has surprised many this season, looking impressive despite the absence of star forward Kawhi Leonard. With one of the best defensive units in the NBA, the Clippers will look to dominate a struggling Raptors team 2-7.

Toronto has lost six of its last seven games, but could get a boost in Saturday’s game at the Intuit Dome. Standout guard Immanuel Quickley has been upgraded from “questionable” to “questionable” as many expect him to return after an eight-game absence.

Quickley suffered a pelvic contusion in Toronto’s season opener and has not returned since. Quickley got off to a hot start, scoring 13 points in just 14 minutes before leaving the game, and the Raptors have been desperately awaiting the return of one of their best offensive talents ever since.

Toronto’s Davion Mitchell has started in Quickley’s place since his injury as a viable backup, but the Raptors should be noticeably better with Quickley back in the lineup.

The Raptors are already sixth in the NBA in points per game (118.0), so getting Quickley back could strengthen their offense even more. Especially in the second leg of a back-to-back, Saturday’s game will not be a cakewalk for the Clippers.

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