INGLEWOOD — Clippers veteran forward Nicolas Batum is not in a rush to get on the court. He sits patiently game after game on the bench waiting for his name to be called.
And when coach Tyronn Lue signals for him to check in, Batum is ready, always ready to play whether it is for five minutes or Friday night’s season-high 34 minutes.
Batum got his fourth start of the season against the New York Knicks as forward Derrick Jones Jr. makes a slow return to the starting lineup after suffering a lingering groin injury. And the 36-year-old French international player made the most of his minutes, nailing five 3-pointers among his efficient season-high 17 points. He also recorded four assists, two blocks and two steals.
And in typical fashion, Batum deflected praise to his teammates, those who see most of the minutes and touches. He said it’s easy to play when you have “unselfish superstars” on your team.
“It’s easy when you play with those three guys – James (Harden) Zu (Ivica Zubac) and Kawhi (Leonard),” Batum said. “The defense is so focused on those guys you are going to get open shots. … It’s easy to play with those guys. You are just open, you just got to be ready to shoot.”
Batum was ready, hitting 6 of his 9 shots from the field and 5 of 7 from the 3-point range in the 105-95 victory.
“Sometimes you have to step up and make some baskets to win the game,” he said.
Big moments aren’t anything new for Batum. He is a two-time Olympian, including a member of the 2024 French National team that lost to the United States in the gold-medal game in Paris. He also was named French Player of the Year in 2021 and a longstanding competitor in FIBA.
But that doesn’t mean he assumes he will get more minutes based on his experience. He knows what Lue expects from him.
“I mean that was the talk I had with Ty like during the offseason after the Olympics and during training camp,” he said. “I mean some games I play 25, some games 5 minutes, some games I won’t play.
“But I knew, like maybe like down on the road like the last 20 games, I might mean more like (in) a game tonight (with) some injury, so I need to be ready to step up.”
The Clippers, currently seeded No. 8 in the Western Conference, are going to need Batum’s steady play in the final 19 games, starting with Sunday’s key matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who are No. 9.
“We have a very tough stretch, I mean the last six, seven games after the break (when the Clippers lost six of seven) and we see that other teams start winning too,” Batum said. “I mean Warriors came back on track, Sacramento as well, (and) Minnesota. So, we’re not winning the race, (but we) just (need to) make sure we don’t put ourselves in a bad position for the next 20 games.”
INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
Not only did Batum play a big role in beating the Knicks, Zubac (Croatia) finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) added eight points and 12 rebounds.
“We stick together, that was a good team win,” Batum told EuroHoops.
Sacramento at Clippers
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/radio: FDSNSC/AM 570