The Clippers won three games in a row at home, and now head on the road for a short stretch. Their first stop is in Indianapolis, marking this as a homecoming for new Clippers Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson.
Game Information
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
When: 4:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Darius Garland – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Brook Lopez
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard – Aaron Nesmith – Pascal Siakam – Jarace Walker – Jay Huff
Injuries
Clippers: Jordan Miller Questionable (Back), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton Out (Achilles), Ivica Zubac Out (Ribs), Obit Toppin Questionable (Back), Aaron Nesmith Probable (Back), Johnny Furphy Out (Knee)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have won three games in a row, pushing them back over .500. Their win over the Raptors was one of their more encouraging performances in recent weeks, as they thoroughly dominated a pretty good Raptors team that was (mostly) healthy. Their only real issue was giving up a lot of offensive rebounds, but the Clippers moved the ball well on offense and played good defense against the Raptors on their first shot attempts. Darius Garland continued to cook, Kawhi Leonard looked healthy, and Bennedict Mathurin returned from a week-long absence with a bang. Maybe not one of the Clippers’ finest performances of the season, but it was a big step in the right direction.
The Antagonist
The Pacers have the worst record in the entire NBA – not something anyone would have predicted before the season, even with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year and Myles Turner in Milwaukee. The Pacers have been plagued by injuries much of the season and more or less threw in the towel months ago. They are bad at everything and are not trying to win games, recently losing 16 games in a row before grabbing a win two games ago. This is a team that every winning squad should be able to beat, whether they’re playing at home or not.
Notes
Benn & IJax Revenge Games: This will be the first time Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson return to Indiana since their trade at the deadline. It will be a big homecoming for both guys, who were drafted by the Pacers and spent their whole careers there before being moved to Los Angeles. Mathurin’s breakup with the Pacers was a bit more contentious than Jackson’s, but I’d guess both guys come out with a lot to prove in front of their former home crowd in Indianapolis. Considering the length of their tenures in Indy, I would also guess both guys receive tributes of some kind. Hopefully the Clippers can harness the energy in the building for their benefit.
Standings Watch: The Warriors and Blazers both play tonight. Unfortunately, both teams are playing at home and against tanking squads, with the Warriors facing off against the Wizards and the Blazers playing the Mavericks. The Mavs are at least somewhat frisky, but the Warriors are almost certainly going to win their game, and the Blazers should be heavy favorites in their game as well. It’s hard to complain, of course, as the Clippers are also playing a tanking team, but the situation makes it that much more imperative that the Clippers pick up the win. The Suns, the other team in the Clippers’ vicinity, are off tonight.