The Clippers are coming off two blowout losses but are back at home and should have a rested James Harden to help end their losing streak… as well as maybe one Kawhi Leonard.
Game Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac
Hawks: Trae Young – Dyson Daniels – Zaccharie Risacher – Jalen Johnson – Clint Capela
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League)
Hawks: Trae Young Probable (Hand), Jalen Johnson Probable (Shoulder), Bogdan Bogdanovic Probable (Leg), Cody Zeller Questionable (Personal), Larry Nance Out (Hand), Kobe Bufkin Out (Shoulder)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have lost two games in a row in utter blowouts for the first time this season. While that’s not exactly good news, the losses were not inexplicable. In fact, both games were true schedule losses, and the Thunder loss on Thursday will be one of the toughest games in terms of calendar/opponent that the Clippers will have all year. In short, the Clippers aren’t playing well right now – their turnovers are awful, the defense is slumping, and the team looks tired – but there are real reasons behind those issues. The Clippers certainly need to play better, with the turnovers in particular being extremely frustrating, but I’m not worried yet. And with Kawhi Leonard probably coming back tonight, the Clippers’ entire season is going to shift anyway. Hopefully it’s for the better.
The Antagonist
Despite being 18-16 with some quality wins (I’m writing this before the Hawks’ game against the Lakers last night) the Hawks have a -1.5 Net Rating, suggesting they might be playing a bit above their heads right now. Still, they have been a better team than expected due to a combination of factors – DeAndre Hunter becoming a legitimately very good player out of nowhere, Jalen Johnson taking the leap from good young player to star, and Dyson Daniels moving from fringe rotation player to one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Those developments combined with solid center play, the playmaking brilliance of Trae Young, and decent depth has allowed the Hawks to remain in the East playoff race despite dealing with some injuries. They aren’t great, but they are a good young team on the rise.
Notes
Kawhi Back: It couldn’t be normal. I had a whole paragraph here on how Kawhi was not returning when the Clippers ruled him out Friday afternoon. Now I’m rewriting, as Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Shams Charania of ESPN have reported that Kawhi will be likely to make his 2025 debut in this game. Kawhi will be starting, but it’s unknown whether he will have a minutes restriction, and if so, what that restriction might be. Even if he only plays 20 minutes and is not close to peak Kawhi, his size, rebounding, and shooting should immediately make the Clippers better. Welcome back, Kawhi.
Terance Back: In other injury news, Terance Mann will be available for today’s game for the first time in a month, as he last played in a December 3 win against the Blazers. Mann was just starting to play better after a cold start to the year, and his return will allow Ty Lue to go back to a 10-man rotation. Presumably, Mann will be back on the bench unit, which is where he’d played the last 12 games of the season after starting the first 11. However, it will be interesting if the rotations look different now with Kawhi’s (hopeful) pending return, as someone from that top 10 will probably have to be out when Kawhi plays. I’d prefer that someone to be Kevin Porter Jr., who has been one of the NBA’s least efficient scorers and a nightmare to watch, but going small and taking out Mo Bamba makes sense. I also think it’s possible Terance himself does not actually return to the rotation, as he was already seeing reduced minutes before he got injured.
