Short-handed Clippers look to snap skid against Utah

The Clippers, despite playing a heavy schedule, won 10 of 12 games last month, including nine in row at home. They were holding down the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a 14-9 record and solidifying their reputation as one of the league’s best defensive teams.

And that was without their star, Kawhi Leonard.

“I give our guys credit, our players, no matter who’s been here,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “When guys have been out, we always feel like we have a chance to win and so just go on the floor every single night. Just finding ways to win.

“It’s not going to be the same every night. It could be different every single night, but just trying to find ways to win, trying to find combinations to win. I give our guys credit, they’ve done that.”

Yet, that hasn’t happened as much lately. When the monthly calendar changed, so did the Clippers’ fortunes. Injuries to Norman Powell (hamstring), James Harden (groin), Terance Mann (finger), Kevin Porter Jr. (ankle) and Derrick Jones (hamstring) altered the lineup, chemistry and results.

The Clippers have lost three games in a row this month by an average of 20.3 points, the worst being a 28-point debacle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they have slipped to ninth in the packed conference standings. The Clippers rank 14th in the league in field goal percentage (46.3%), 13th in 3-point shooting (36.9%) and their offense is 25th at 109.7 points per game.

Powell, who was averaging 23.1 points, was the first to join Leonard on the bench when he suffered a sore left hamstring, missing six games. The shooting guard rebounded with back-to-back games of 28 points against the Denver Nuggets and 30 against the Portland Trail Blazers but has since slumped. He had just 16 points against the Nuggets on Friday night.

Without Leonard, the Clippers looked to Harden to carry the load, and he responded by averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He missed one game because of a strained groin and returned Friday after a nine-day layoff to finish with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists (but nine turnovers).

He also had just two free throws after making 13 of 13 the previous game time they faced the Nuggets.

The injuries – Mann and Jones Jr. remain out – have left Lue with patchwork lineups and players he called “interchangeable parts.”

“We have guys who can step in and play two or three different positions, so with DJ (Jones Jr.) being out right now, having Nico (Batum) in the starting lineup, who’s accustomed to doing that and being in that role before. So, we’ll see how it plays out. but you know losing bodies can be tough.”

The Clippers have a chance to get back to winning when they host the struggling Utah Jazz (5-19) on Monday night before returning to the road for two games in Dallas later this week and a game in Memphis just before Christmas.

JAZZ AT CLIPPERS

When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood

TV/radio: FDSN Socal, 570 AM

Originally Published: December 15, 2024 at 2:29 PM PST