The Clippers reset themselves with a big win against the Lakers on Friday night. On Saturday, they have a chance to get revenge on Kings, who beat them up in Staples earlier this week.
Game Information
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
When: 7:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Eric Bledsoe – Paul George – Marcus Morris – Ivicac Zubac
Kings: De’Aaron Fox – Tyrese Haliburton – Terence Davis – Chimezie Metu – Richaun Holmes
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Nic Batum Out (COVID), Jason Preston Out (Foot)
Kings: Marvin Bagley III Out (COVID), Harrison Barnes Out (Foot), Maurice Harkless Out (Knee), Robert Woodard II Out (Ankle)
The Big Picture
On Wednesday, the LA Clippers – without Paul George – struggled mightily against the Sacramento Kings (check out our recap from that game, to relive it). Tonight, however, LA will have George back and will have the wind from a win over the Lakers at their back.
Between Wednesday and Friday, it seems like the Clippers have unlocked a new wrinkle to the rotation: playing with two bigs. The move has had mixed results, of course, but the Clippers should be able to use it more effectively in Sacramento now that it has more minutes under its belt.
Check out this breakdown by Justin (@LAClippersFilm):
If the Clippers can punish the smaller Kings and keep the Kings’ shooters off the three-point line, the Clippers should be able to pick up their second straight win.
The Antagonist
One complicating factor is rest. The Kings have not played since the game in LA on Wednesday, while the Clippers will be traveling to Sacramento after playing late on Friday night. Moreover, on Friday, Paul George played nearly 40 minutes, Marcus Morris, Sr. and Reggie Jackson played over 30min, and everyone else (except for Brandon Boston, Jr.) played significant minutes in a hard-fought, wire-to-wire game.
It’s also worth noting that, although they are a flashy team, a win over the Lakers is not exactly a sign that you’re on the right track. The Clippers also needed heroic shot-making from Luke Kennard and Morris, which (without more) won’t be enough to beat the Kings. On Wednesday, the Clippers shot fine against the Kings; the real issue was the defense. On minimal rest, the Clippers could get caught flatfooted and give up another wave of threes to Terence Davis and Davion Mitchell again.
Notes
- Paul George is Human: After having a MVP start to the season, Paul George has been human over the last stretch. The turnovers have been a focus, but his scoring is down as well. In October, George averaged 27.6 ppg on 50% shooting (37.5% from three); in November, he was down to 25.4 ppg on 41% FG% and 31.6% 3P%. He has been carrying a huge load (he’s a top-2 player in usage), which had led to a -13.7 plus-minus in three games with no rest. Ty Lue would be smart to get George the ball in scoring position rather than relying on him to create for himself (and others) all game.
- Standings Watch: The Clippers are currently 6th in the West but are only a game up on the Nuggets, who are currently in the 10th spot. On the bright side, they are only one loss behind the Grizzlies and Mavericks. As Lucas pointed on on Twitter, a win tonight means LAC moves up to the fifth seed.
That does it for our Clippers-Kings preview. Check out our most recent podcast episode for a breakdown of the Clippers’ win over the Lakers.