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Clippers vs Lakers Preview: Back to Back in LA
Two nights after losing against the Lakers, the Clippers will square off against their Pacific Division rivals once more.
Game
Information
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
When: 6:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac
Lakers: Gabe Vincent – Luka Doncic – LeBron James – Dorian Finney-Smith – Jaxson Hayes
Injuries
Clippers: Norm Powell Probable (Knee), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Groin), Kai Jones Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Lakers: Austin Reaves Doubtful (Calf), Jordan Goodwin Doubtful (Ankle), Rui Hachimura Out (Knee), Maxi Kleber Out (Foot)
Standings
Watch
The good news for the Clippers is that a bunch of teams in the West lost this weekend. The bad news is that a bunch of them won – just one of the complications in a conference with 12 teams jockeying for postseason spots and only three teams (Thunder on top, Jazz and Pelicans on the bottom) unconcerned with seeding. The struggles of the Rockets and Grizzlies of late have kept the Clippers within a potential (if unlikely) path to a top 4 seed, but the Suns, Blazers, and Spurs all won, meaning that they are keeping a similar distance from the Clippers – not likely to catch up, but not impossible either. The 10th seeded Kings have won two in a row, meaning they are just 1.5 games back from the Clippers. The Clippers really need to start winning, or they are going to fall from a playoff spot to the bottom of the play-in in a hurry. Fortunately, they got some good news late on Saturday, with the Sixers shocking the Warriors and preventing the Dubs from passing the Clippers in the standings. Paul George: helping the Clippers win!
Notes
Norm in, DJJ Out: Norm Powell is finally back after missing the first five games after the All Star Break – but no sooner is he back than Derrick Jones Jr. is out with a groin strain. While the Clippers will miss DJJ’s defense and above-the-rim play, they desperately need Norm’s shooting and downhill driving to alleviate the pressure on James Harden. This will be a bit of an offense-defense shift, with the Clippers getting a jolt in the arm on one end but taking a real hit on the other end. Hopefully Kris Dunn, Ben Simmons, and Ivica Zubac can hold the fort down on the defensive end with DJJ out, and even more hopefully this is a brief absence for the veteran wing.
Getting Bench Production: While James Harden had an absolutely miserable game on Friday night and Kawhi Leonard was “meh”, the real reason the Clippers lost to the Lakers was the discrepancy in bench play. The Clippers got just 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists from their bench while the Lakers’ bench, not exactly the starriest bunch, accumulated 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 assists. The +/- tells an even clearer story, with Nic Batum at a -13, Ben Simmons -19, Bogdan Bogdanovic -20, and Amir Coffey -14, while the Lakers bench were all in double-digit pluses outside of Dalton Knecht. The Clippers need their stars to be better, but they also need their bench to give them something, specifically for Coffey and Bogi to hit threes while not getting barbecued on defense. Fingers crossed they play better tonight.