Both L.A. teams are in the midst of an out-of-town series this week.

The 17-53 CLIPPERS began their six-game trip in Detroit (34-35) Friday. In spite of 22 points from Eric Gordon and 19 points and eights assists from Baron Davis, the Clippers picked up their 13th straight loss against the Pistons, 90-108.

Sunday, the Clips strove for a win in Toronto but continued to struggle, even against the 25-45 Raptors, 76-100. The team plays New York (28-41) tonight, San Antonio (45-24) Friday and second in the west Houston (47-25) Saturday.

The 55-14 LAKERS had a trio of games at home last week where they lost double-digit leads. On March 15, they gave up a 15-point lead in the third quarter against the 42-28 Mavericks but pulled off a 107-100 win. They weren’t as lucky March 17 against the 34-33 76ers, giving up a 14-point lead in the fourth to be defeated 94-93.

The Lakers hosted Golden State (25-45) Thursday night and despite giving up an 18-point lead and committing 22 turnovers, came away with a 114-106 victory. This was the team’s last game at home until April 3.

Their seven-game road trip, their longest of the season, began in Chicago (32-38) Saturday afternoon. The Lakers showed more intensity and energy than in the past few games and came away with a 117-109 victory.

The squad faces off against Detroit tomorrow, New Jersey (30-40) Friday, Atlanta (41-29) Sunday and Charlotte (31-39) Tuesday.



PLAYER OF THE WEEK: TREVOR ARIZA

Team: Lakers, No. 3; Position: Forward; Years Pro: 4

Despite providing an incredible source of energy off the bench, Ariza has been a great asset to the starting five in place of Luke Walton. His intensity on defense allows Kobe Bryant to roam and disrupt passing lanes more. Over the past three games, he’s averaged 16 points, six rebounds and two steals.



All stats as of March 23.