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Clippers vs Kings 2025 Preseason Game 5 Preview
The Clippers will wrap up their 2024-2025 preseason with a home game against the Sacramento Kings.
Game Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: Clippervision, KTLA
Projected Starting Lineups
Kings: De’Aaron Fox – Keon Ellis – DeMar DeRozan – Keegan Murray – Domantas Sabonis
Clippers: Kevin Porter Jr. – Amir Coffey – Terance Mann – Kobe Brown – Kai Jones
Injuries
Kings: Devin Carter Out (Shoulder), Trey Lyles Doubtful (Groin), Kevin Huerter Doubtful (Shoulder), Orlando Robinson Doubtful (Knee)
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), James Harden Out (Rest), Norm Powell Questionable (Rest), Ivica Zubac Questionable (Rest), Derrick Jones Jr. Questionable (Rest)
Notes
Who Plays: Ty Lue said before the game on Tuesday that James Harden wouldn’t play tonight, and left it an open question as to whether the Clippers’ other key rotation players would or not. In preseason I usually err on the side of guys not playing, so I think other vets like Norm and Nic Batum won’t play either, but whether Terance, DJJ, and Zubac do is a bit more questionable. Regardless, the Clippers will not be rolling out anything close to their “real” lineups, so there will be less to take away from this game than previous contests – which is not saying much. Hopefully we get some fun stuff or Ty decides to make this at least somewhat of a dress rehearsal.
Final Chances to Impress: If the Clippers don’t play their key players much, this could be a great opportunity for players on the fringes – Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, and Cam Christie most notably – to make a case for themselves. Miller has impressed in his minutes, and Kobe has been quiet but looked ok, while Cam has really not stood out much so far. One preseason game is not going to change the minds of the coaching staff, but a standout performance by any of these guys could not hurt. The same goes for Exhibit 10 players, who might be angling for two-way deals from other teams or even deals from top international teams. Every game on the big NBA stage matters.
The Bones Situation: Late in the preseason game on Tuesday, Law Murray tweeted that only four active Clippers hadn’t appeared in the game – Bones Hyland, Trentyn Flowers, Elijah Harkless, and Braxton Key. The clear outlier there is Bones, who is on a full NBA deal and who the Clippers traded two second-round picks for just 1.5 years ago. Notably, the Clippers played Alondes Williams, an Exhibit 10 player who has logged just eight NBA games in his two-year career, over Bones. I’m not sure where things went wrong for Bones in LA, but he’s clearly not part of this team’s plans, and I almost wonder if they send him home like they did with PJ Tucker. Maybe not, because a suspension for Kevin Porter Jr. is likely coming, and in that case Bones would be fairly close in line for minutes, but it wouldn’t be shocking either. I wonder if we ever get a story on what happened with Bones and this team, but things have sadly gone way south.