First, we got some news from the Clippers during and after the writing of our preview, so let’s reset the table before we continue with the rest of the recap of the Clippers’ game against the Rockets.
Patrick Beverley, Amir Coffey, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Terance Mann were all ruled out about six hours before the game. Reggie Jackson also became “doubtful” due to a sore left achilles and did not play.
That meant that the Clippers’ starting lineup was: Rajon Rondo, Jay Scrubb, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris, Sr., and Ivica Zubac. As we’ll discuss below, however, this turned into even more of a “canoes” game over time.
Summary
The game was up and down to start, with both team trading threes (including the first make of Zubac’s career). The Clippers would eventually go up by 11 mid-way through the quarter, but only had a three point lead by quarter’s end. Coach Ty Lue played ten guys in the first — most notably Serge Ibaka got five and a half early minutes, and looked pretty good. He had five points and five rebounds in his first shift.
The Rockets carried momentum from the late first quarter through the second, eventually building a six point lead over the Clippers. Zubac never returned after playing the first three minutes and Morris likewise sat the whole second quarter. This meant we saw a lot of Patrick Paterson minutes, as well as shifts from Batum and Cousins. At half, the Rockets were led by Jae’Sean Tate (13), Armoni Brooks (13), and Khyri Thomas (11). However, at the half, the Clippers were done by just four.
In the third quarter, we started to get a sense for how important this game was for Ty Lue. Without speculating too much about his thinking, it was nonetheless clear that he was prioritizing rest over focusing on getting a win. The one exception to the canoe crew was Rajon Rondo, who played 28 minutes, finishing with nine points and 13 assists (the most assists by any Clippers player this season).
Going into the fourth quarter, the Clippers were down 12, which was enough to essentially end the competitive nature of the game. Yes, the Clippers outscored the Rockets by five, but they never really threatened to actually put the Rocket’s lead in doubt. Rondo, Cousins, and Batum got the hook, and Lue closed with the canoe lineup of: Yogi Ferrell, Scrubb, Kennard, Patterson, and Oturu. The Clippers ultimately lost by seven, 122-115.
Notes
Serge Ibaka looked pretty good! In 17 minutes, Serge scored 15 points, shooting 6/8 from the field. He also had seven rebounds and drew some fouls (3/4 from the line). Plus, he looked pretty fluid — or “spry,” as Brian Sieman described him — though he did look a little tired at times.
Seeding implications: With tonight’s loss, the Clippers are now tied with the Nuggets in the standings (47-24) but, because Denver has the tie-breaker, the Clippers are now the fourth seed.
On Sunday, the Clippers play the Thunder, while the Nuggets play the Blazers. Interestingly, both teams tipoff at 6pm PT, so we might see a strange standoff between the two, if either (or both) are interested in finishing in the fourth seed. That is, if the Nuggets actually want the fourth seed, they may elect to rest their players; or, they may want the third seed — requiring a win — but want to do so with as little effort as possible, which would require them to keep an eye on the Clippers-Thunder game.
Who knows — not me, obviously. I went into tonight’s game thinking the Clippers wanted to win, but they clearly put rest as the main priority. Regardless, they can no longer play the Lakers in the first round, and that’s a real win.
That will about do it for this recap of the Clippers’ loss to the Rockets. Give your thoughts on the Canoes below!