The Clippers head home to take on the lottery-bound Hornets in a game that should be a must-win for a team trying to make the postseason.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Hornets: LaMelo Ball – Josh Green – DaQuan Jeffries – Miles Bridges – Mark Williams

Clippers: James Harden – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Hornets: Brandon Miller Out (Wrist), Grant Williams Out (Leg), Tre Mann Out (Back), Josh Okogie Out (Hamstring)

Clippers: Norm Powell Questionable (Hamstring), Kris Dunn Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Out (Hip), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Seth Lundy Out (G-League), Patrick Baldwin Out (G-League)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are scrambling to keep up with a Western Conference that is in seemingly constant flux. It seemed for a while as though a clear second tier had been established consisting of the Nuggets, Lakers, and Grizzlies, but that has shifted as all three of those teams (especially the Lakers) have struggled in the past two weeks while the Rockets, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Clippers have surged. The Clippers are still too far below the Rockets, Nuggets, and Grizzlies (5.5 games) to make catching them realistic, but the Lakers are now just four games ahead – albeit with LeBron probably back sooner than later. In short, the Clippers’ most likely outcome is still their current 8 seed, but there is now a slightly larger window for them to get up as high as 6^th. They just need to keep winning the games in front of them.

The Antagonist

The Charlotte Hornets have the third-worst record in the NBA (17-49) as well as the third-worst net rating (-7.2). However, they’ve probably been a bit feistier than some of the teams ahead of them in the standings (looking at the Sixers here) lately, as they have fewer veterans whose minutes/bodies they need to protect and have already solidified a spot in the bottom six of the lottery. LaMelo Ball remains an enigma, a supremely talented playmaker and scorer whose defense and decision-making are still questions. Mark Williams is similarly gifted as an explosive above-the-rim athlete at center but with glaring flaws on the defensive end. The Hornets have other interesting young players, notably Brandon Miller and Tre Mann, but they are both out for the year due to injury. On the right night when LaMelo is cooking and Miles Bridges is scoring with efficiency the Hornets can be a bit scary on offense, but they are a team that serious squads should be able to beat.

Notes

Must Win: All of the above should indicate this game is an absolute must-win for the Clippers. They are at home playing a lottery-bound squad and are close to fully healthy with a day of rest. They only have three more games left on their schedule against clear bottom-dwellers, and one of them is on the road (Nets), one is on a back-to-back split (Spurs), and the last is against the Pelicans, who have always given the Clippers trouble. In short, this is almost certainly the “easiest” game left on their schedule. The four games after this: Cavs (best record in the league), Grizzlies (top four team in the West), Thunder (second-best record in the league), and at the Knicks (third-best in the East). Regardless of how ugly it is, this is a game they simply have to secure a victory for.

Dunn Out: Kris Dunn came down a bit awkwardly in the Clippers’ game against the Pelicans but came back into that one (albeit briefly) and then played through the Heat and Hawks games. He has been ruled out with knee soreness, the same knee that he’s had issues with all season. My guess is that this is more of a rest/maintenance game for Dunn in a game the Clippers should really win, especially as it’s not a back-to-back which means Kawhi and Ben Simmons are available. Hopefully it’s nothing more serious – Dunn’s role will decrease with Norm seemingly very close to returning, but he still fills a valuable role on this team.

Clippers vs Hornets Preview: Hopefully Securing an Easy Win
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to follow up the good vibes from San Antonio as they continue on their road trip against the bottom-dwelling Hornets.

Game Information

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Hornets: Vasilije Micic – Nick Smith – Miles Bridges – Josh Okogie – Taj Gibson

Injuries

Clippers: Kris Dunn Out (Knee), Cam Christie Out (Ankle), Kai Jones Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team)

Hornets: LaMelo Ball Out (Ankle), Brandon Miller Out (Wrist), Grant Williams Out (Knee), Mark Williams Out (Foot), Cody Martin Out (Abdomen), Tre Mann Out (Back), Josh Green Probable (Foot)

The Big Picture

The Clippers overcame an extraordinarily sloppy first half of basketball on Wednesday to beat the Spurs going away on the road in San Antonio. A snooze-worthy opener culminated in one of the Clippers’ finest closes to a game of the season, as the Clips outexecuted the youthful Spurs, forcing turnover after turnover and scoring with ease in transition to turn a close game into a rout. The Clippers’ defense help up most of the night, and when their offense finally caught up, the team looked great. It’s really been the story of the season, and the Clippers have to hope that the increased presence of Kawhi Leonard will drive their offense up the leaderboards (it’s at 20 now, the highest it’s been in a minute). If they can just straighten out that end of the floor while sustaining their defense, they will be in business.

The Antagonist

The Hornets were an awful team (4^th worst record in the NBA) even before injuries started felling them in recent games. The Hornets are 24^th in Net Rating, so a bit better than their record, largely due to a shockingly competent (15^th ranked) defense. However, with their three best players as well as multiple competent veterans out, the Hornets are just a husk of a team. It’s looking like yet another waste of a season in Charlotte, a team that has hit on LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller to some extent, but has not been able to keep any of those three guys healthy or surround them with a real NBA team. The Hornets will finish ahead of the Wizards in the standings, but could very well sink to as low as the second-worst team in the league by the end of the year. Maybe Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper could turn this franchise around – the Hornets had better hope so, anyway.

Notes

Get the Win: I write this note every time the Clippers play a terrible team but it is something that is just a fact of life in the NBA. When you’re a good team and you play a garbage team, you must secure the win. The rest of the NBA is too competitive and subject to variance due to three-pointers and overall talent level to be ultra-confident of a victory on most nights, so the games where the talent gap is significant you have to capitalize. The Clippers have done so this year, with their only losses to bad teams coming against the Blazers (very early in the season) and against the Bulls last week (extremely tough schedule). They just need to play competently tonight and they should get an easy victory.

Moussa Revenge?: One of the very few positive developments this season for the Hornets has been the play of former Clipper Moussa Diabate. Moussa has set career highs across every single category, and has logged 673 minutes so far this year compared to just 259 across two seasons as a Clipper. In fact, Moussa has played so well that the Hornets are likely to convert him from a two-way deal to a full NBA contract after the trade deadline. He’s still a raw offensive player, to say the least, but Moussa has increased his efficiency as a scorer and improved significantly as a defensive rebounder. It’s unlikely he punishes the Clippers as a scorer, but his energy, hustle, and rebounding could make an impact against a small Clippers’ second unit. It’s good to see Moussa out here thriving, even in a tough situation.

Clippers vs Hornets Game Preview: Get the Easy Road Win
Robert Flom

The Clippers had to keep their starters in until the end of the game, but were able to pull out a 130-118 win on the road in Charlotte.

Game Summary

I don’t know if this game is worthy of or truly needs a blow-by-blow breakdown. The Clippers and Hornets were tied at 13 around halfway through the first. The Clippers got a lead after that, and, for the most part, never looked back. The lead hit double digits in the 2^nd quarter and grew to as large as 19 at one point, with the Hornets proving incapable of slowing the Clippers’ attack all game. The Hornets cut the lead down to as low as six at some points late in the game, but the Clippers always felt in control and I never once thought the Hornets would pull off the win. Ultimately, that all rang true, and the Clippers won 130-118.

Notes

PG Goes Off: Paul George was at his best tonight, at least offensively, looking absolutely unstoppable on the way to 41 points on 14-21 shooting (8-12 from three) with 5-5 from deep. PG roasted a young guy who greatly admires him in Brandon Miller, as well as any other defender the Hornets threw at him. Not only that, but PG went to the rim, not settling for jumpers despite the scorcher that he was on. The cherry on top? Zero turnovers to four assists and seven rebounds, giving PG a relatively error-free and well-rounded game on top of his scoring. PG won’t always shoot like this, of course, but it was wonderful to see him go off tonight.

Big Zu Went Off Too: There’s an argument that Ivica Zubac had his best game of the season in this one, going for 24 points (season-high), 12 rebounds (most since February 22), and 2 blocks on an incredible 7-8 shooting and 10-10 from the line. After being in a funk for much of the past two months, Zu’s scoring on one end and disruption at the rim on the other end was fantastic to see, especially after another solid game on Friday. If Big Zu is finally rounding back into form, it bodes well for the Clippers’ chances of making noise in the playoffs.

Rotations Setting In: With less than 10 games left in the NBA season, Clippers coach Ty Lue might, finally, be close to setting his rotations. Similarly to the Magic game, Ty went with 9 players – the usual starters, Norm and Russ as guards off the bench, Amir as the lone reserve wing, and Mason Plumlee as the backup center. Or, in short, no Theis and no PJ Tucker. Now, Mason did only play 7 minutes, and all of those were in the first half; that’s clearly the last spot that’s up in the air. But for right now, Ty seems to have figured out groupings he’s comfortable with.

Standings Watch: The Thunder, Nuggets, Mavs, Kings, Lakers, and Warriors all won today, though the later two’s relevance to the Clippers is near zero. The Timberwolves and Rockets lost, while the Pelicans and Suns did not play. The Clippers’ win was thus important at keeping them two losses ahead of the surging Mavs and Pelicans, as well as four ahead of the Suns and Kings. The Rockets’ loss combined with the Clippers’ win also means the Clippers have officially secured at least a play-in bid: they can’t fall lower than 10th. They are also at least theoretically still in play for a top three seed, but those dreams are realistically over. It seems quite likely the Clippers will play either the Mavs or Pelicans in the 4-5, but things are still murky and the Kings and Suns remain in the mix as well.

Clippers vs Hornets Recap: Easy-Ish Win in Charlotte
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off one of their best wins in a while, and will hope to keep that momentum going against the bottom-dwelling Hornets.

Game Information

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

When: 3:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Jams Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Hornets: Vasilije Micic – Tre Mann – Miles Bridges – Brandon Miller – Nick Richards

Injuries

Clippers: None

Hornets: LaMelo Ball Out (Ankle), Mark Williams Out (Back), Aleksej Pokuevski Questionable (Illness)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have won two games in a row, and while they haven’t been great in either game, they have shown a level of fight and defense they haven’t shown much of in months. The ship has not been righted, or close to it, but it might have temporarily stopped sinking, which is still a step in the right direction. If the Clippers can just maintain this level of play and energy, they should be able to win a decent chunk of their final games and stay out of the play-in. Next up: getting their offense moving from just ok to the kind of flow, movement, and deadliness it was for much of the first 2/3 of the season.

The Antagonist

The Hornets are a putrid 18-55, having traded away or let walk multiple key veterans over the past 12 months including Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre, PJ Washington, and Gordon Hayward. Things have not been helped by star guard LaMelo Ball playing just 22 games this year. The only real bright spot has been prized rookie Brandon Miller, who has had a very strong season shooting the ball and demonstrated flashes of shooting and defense as well. The Hornets now have a strong wing to pair with Ball – if LaMelo is ever able to stay healthy – but the rest of the roster remains quite barren. There is talent, just like there is on every NBA team in 2024, but the Hornets are clearly one of the worst teams in the league and are just waiting for this season to end.

Notes

Get the Win: This is probably the easiest game left on the Clippers’ calendar, along with their two games against the Jazz. It would be great if they played well and were able to get their stars rest in the second half. That’s certainly ideal. But wins are wins, and with the Mavs closing fast and the Pelicans still lurking, every victory is important. The Clippers should be able to handle the Hornets with ease, so hopefully they don’t come out thinking the Hornets will just hand them the game. A competent, focused effort should get a win, but the Clippers need to put in that base level of work.

Disclaimer: 213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs. Hornets Preview: A Last Easy Game
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers slugged through a 113-104 win at home against the Charlotte Hornets.

Summary

It may not have been pretty, but a win is a win.

Maybe it was a little too much Christmas, but whatever it was the Clippers came out sluggish against a Hornets team that was down three starters and sporting one of the worst records in the league at 7-20.

The Hornets are an inconsistent shooting team, but the Clippers allowed a parade into the paint in the first quarter and they trailed 27-26 after one. The Clippers put together a mini-spurt in the second quarter but the Hornets continued to hang tough, trailing 55-50 at the half.

The Clippers looked like they were on the verge of taking control of the game in the third quarter as they build a ten point lead. But they took their foot off the pedal and allowed the Hornets to gain confidence.

“When we were up ten, just a couple of bad shots, shot selection was bad, just messing around with the game,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said after the game. “We just got to be professional just playing through the game. You can’t take bad shots, you can’t mess around with the game when you get up.”

Things got worse in the fourth quarter as the Hornets, with newfound confidence, surged ahead and took a 91-84 lead. That was when the Clippers finally woke up. Trailing 93-87, the Clippers used a 14-0 run to take the lead and never look back.

During that surge, Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Ivica Zubac were all crucial. Westbrook in particular, as he injected life into the team when they were sleep-walking.

“Russell was really good off the bench for us, saved the game for us. I thought James was really good, Zu was better in that second half,” Lue said. “I knew it was going to be a tough game, but it was a good bounce back win for us.”

Clippers Vs. Hornets Recap: A win is a win
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers will look to snap a two-game losing streak in a home game against the lottery-bound Charlotte Hornets.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal, NBA TV

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Amir Coffey – Ivica Zubac

Hornets: Terry Rozier – Brandon Miller – Gordon Hayward – Miles Bridges – Nick Richards

Injury Report

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard questionable (hip), Mason Plumlee out (MCL), Moussa Diabate out (hip).

Hornets: LaMelo Ball out (ankle), Brandon Miller questionable (ankle), Frank Ntilikina out (leg), Mark Williams doubtful (back).

The Big Picture

The LA Clippers continue a home-stand to close out the year against the visiting Charlotte Hornets. They’re coming off a deflating loss against the Boston Celtics during which they were buried under an avalanche of three-point shots.

Prior to that the Clippers had lost a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder that had snapped their nine game winning streak. Despite the past two losses, the Clippers have built a sense of cohesiveness that was lacking in the immediate aftermath of the James Harden trade.

Some of those same concerns are still present, but there’s no question they have been playing better. But their margin for error becomes very slim when missing one of their stars, as has been the case without Kawhi Leonard the past two games.

Leonard’s injury is considered day to day and isn’t presumed to be anything serious so Clippers fans don’t need to get all up in arms anytime soon.

The Antagonist

The Charlotte Hornets come to town as one of the most futile teams in the NBA. They’re 7-20 and have lost seven straight games. They’re also missing LaMelo Ball who is dealing with an ankle injury.

Ball is the engine that makes the Hornets go and losing him drastically alters how to game-plan for them. This team just does not have enough to withstand his absence. They’re just not a good team.

Even without Leonard, this is a game that the Clippers should win. That’s pretty much all that needs to be said. This game shouldn’t be close unless the Clippers experience some sort of post-Christmas lethargy or something along those lines.

Clippers vs Hornets Game Preview: Snapping the Slide
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers look to start a new win streak against the visiting Charlotte Hornets. Keep reading for a full preview of the Clippers’ game against the Hornets.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal, NBA TV

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: John Wall – Kawhi Leonard – Nicolas Batum – Marcus Morris – Moses Brown

Hornets: LaMelo Ball – Kelly Oubre Jr. – Gordon Hayward – P.J. Washington – Mason Plumlee

Injury Report

Clippers: Paul George (left knee) questionable, Reggie Jackson (left Achilles) questionable, Norman Powell (left groin) questionable, Ivica Zubac (left knee) questionable, Brandon Boston Jr. Out (G League Assignment), Jason Preston Out (G League Assignment), Moussa Diabate Out (G League Assignment)

Hornets: Terry Rozier (right hip) doubtful, Dennis Smith Jr. (left ankle) out, Cody Martin (left knee) out, Mark Williams (G League Assignment), Bryce McGowens (G League Assignment)

The Big Picture

It could be a game of reinforcements for the short-handed Clippers. Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Ivica Zubac, and Norman Powell have all been upgraded to questionable against the Hornets and there is anticipation that they could all return to the lineup this game. One sign that a few of them might be back on the court is the Clippers young players have all been assigned to the Ontario Clippers for the G League Winter Showcase, possibly signaling that they won’t be needed.

It would be a great sign for the Clippers to be able to have a healthy roster and a home game to continue to build up the on-court chemistry and cohesiveness that they need as they prepare to head out on a five-game road trip that will carry them through the end of the month.

The Clippers struggled at home their last game against the Washington Wizards, but managed to rally back and keep the game close enough for Kawhi Leonard to carry them home. Leonard is still clearly working himself back up to game speed, but with each game he plays he’s looking more and more comfortable, with the Wizards game being arguably his best performance of the season so far.

The Clippers also have had a nice, three-day break in between the Wizards game and this game and so that should help rejuvenate them a little bit and have them ready to go.

The Antagonist

The Charlotte Hornets come to town sporting one of the worst records in the NBA at 8-23. The only team that has a worse record is the 8-25 Detroit Pistons. Make no mistake, this is a bad team: they are one of the worst teams in the NBA on both ends of the floor. They are 24th in the league in points per game at 110.8 and dead last in offensive rating at 108.7. On the defensive end, they are 28th in opponents points per game at 117.5 and 27th in defensive rating at 115.2. Just the other day, head coach Steve Clifford, rather than taking questions from the media in his postgame availability, went on a rant about how the team doesn’t play any defense and is instead worried about how many points they’ll score.

One of the major reasons as to why the Hornets have been so awful is that they’ve only had star point guard LaMelo Ball for seven games this season. He did not make his season-debut until Nov. 12 due to an ankle injury. He returned for three games before being sidelined again for 11 more games due to tweaking the same ankle.

He has since returned to the lineup for the last four games and was instrumental in pulling off a huge win on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Even with Ball, this team is still not goodm but he does help elevate them. He gives the team a legit go-to guy who is explosive offensively, as well as a star playmaker. In the four games he’s been back, he’s had a game with 11 assists and one with 12 assists. He’s also averaged 26 points on 48.8 percent shooting from the field in those four games.

Slowing down Ball is the key for the Clippers to beating the Hornets. The Clippers will also need to play better defense overall as they gave up 117 points to the Hornets in their last meeting without Ball even playing, and needed a Kawhi Leonard game-winner to finish the game.

Clippers vs. Hornets Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers had one of the worst quarters of basketball you will ever see, but it ultimately didn’t matter due to a Kawhi Leonard gamewinner with 1.4 seconds to go, resulting in a 119-117 victory over the Hornets.

Summary

The first half was pretty boring. The Hornets are not very good at basketball, and the Clippers clearly looked like the better and more talented team, but the Clipperss made enough flubs and the Hornets made just enough shots to hang around. Ty Lue had some interesting rotations, inserting John Wall and Luke Kennard together at around the 5 minute mark of both the first and second quarters for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to go small with three guards, and then coming back with PG and Kawhi at the start of the second unit with small-ball. To close the first quarter, Moses Brown played a few minutes at center, but did not get any blow in the second period. Overall, the Clippers’ offense looked good, moving the ball and generating consistently easy looks. George had seven assists and no turnovers, Wall had eight dimes and one miscue, and the role players hit their open shots. If the defense was tighter, it would have been a blowout.

The Clippers’ third quarters is one of the more embarrassing in recent memory, not just by them, but by any NBA team. They started out sloppy on offense and soft on defense, and neither trait let up the whole quarter. The Hornets swiftly cut the lead from nine to three, but George had a couple buckets to keep the Clippers ahead. At that point, the Clippers fell apart, with their defense not offering any resistance at the point of attack, around the rim, or on the offensive glass. The Hornets went up by nine, and would have been up more without a couple mistakes of their own. Ty Lue went to his bench, and while a Wall-led 9-0 spurt got the Clips back on top, the Hornets came right back, spurred by some brilliant defense by Theo Maledon, and led by six going into the final frame. The worst offensive team in the league scored 36 points against one of the best defenses, and did it without insane shooting.

The Clippers flipped the switch extremely quickly, bursting out ahead behind a Luke four-point play and Nic Batum three. The Clippers’ continued to hit threes, buoyed by great ball movement and fantastic passing by John Wall, but could not gain a huge edge because the Hornets continued to score. Still, the Clippers were able to build an eight point lead when the starters began coming back round the seven minute mark. At this point, the Clippers promptly lost the plot again and the Hornets tied the game up around the two-minute mark after an idiotic Paul George technical foul. The Hornets went ahead on a Rozier jumper, but then a Kawhi putbck on an offensive rebound tied the game up at 117 with 40 seconds left. McDaniels missed an open three, George collected the rebound, and Kaawhi buried a midrange jumper with 1.4 seconds left to give the Clips the lead. The Hornets missed a tough contested shot at the buzzer and the Clippers won, 119-117.

Notes

Saved by Kawhi: This would have been the worst loss of the season for the Clippers, but instead, they get a win and a great storyline with Kawhi’s jumper. And gamewinner aside, Kawhi looked pretty good on offense, scoring 16 point on 7-15 shooting and looking comfortable from his midrange spots. His defense, like most of the Clippers, was not great, and he continued to misfire on his threes, but his mobility and athleticism look good. If the Clippers can just keep him healthy, their offense will improve immeasurably through the attention he draws.

Baffling Rotation Decisions: Look, Ty Lue is a good coach. He knows a lot about NBA, even more about basketball, and is great at leading a team. But I remain very, very confused by his rotations this year. Moses Brown is very, very bad. He had 8 points on 4-5 shooting, collected 7 rebounds in 10 minutes, and was a +8 in those minutes – but his defense is just awful. His feet are too slow to play in anything but a very deep drop, which allow ballhandlers to have free, open space from the 3 point line to within about eight feet of the rim. Not only that, but he doesn’t even go up strong at the rim, and its clear nobody fears him on defense. If the Clippers don’t want to go small, that’s fine – but they should either sign a center to the 15^th roster spot or play Moussa Diabate. Moses Brown is not it.

There’s also the Marcus Morris issue. Morris played great to start the year, looking more limber than he has in years. That has not been the case recently, as he’s shown the effort of helping to carry the offense with so many guys out. Not only are his shots misfiring, but his defense has suffered immensely. Tonight, he was moving like he was about 80 years old out there, especially on closeouts, and was more or less invisible on defense. Playing him 30 minutes on such a night (he was -15) when Nic Batum was outstanding in his 20 minutes (+23, hit four threes, played his usual great defense) was bad, and could have cost the Clippers the game. Robert Covington got a DNP-CD on a night when the Clippers’ defense was as strong as tissue paper, an odd situation for a guy who is one of the best help defender perimeter defenders of his generation. Overall, just not good rotations.

The Good and Bad with Wall: John Wall lived up to his old Optimus Dime nickname, dishing 12 assists in 27 minutes to just three turnovers. He did, however, also shooting 4-13 from the field, with many of those misses being awful pullup jumpers or hopeless shots at the rim. His defensive tactic of letting guys go by instead of trying to stay in front and then poke the ball away from behind works one in 20 tries, and on the other 19 results in blown defenses. He was definitely a net positive tonight – but still could have been so much better.

Clippers Beat Hornets 119-117 on Kawhi Gamewinner
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to get back on track against the struggling Hornets in the first game of a four-game road trip.

Game Information

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac

Hornets: Terry Rozier – Kelly Oubre – Jalen McDaniels – PJ Washington – Mason Plumlee

Injuries

Clippers: Paul George Questionable (Hamstring), Luke Kennard Questionable (Calf), Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Ankle), Norm Powell Out (Groin), Jason Preston Out (G-League), Moussa Diabate Out (G-League)

Hornets: LaMelo Ball Out (Ankle), Gordon Hayward Out (Shoulder), Dennis Smith Jr. Out (Ankle), Cody Martin Out (Knee), Mark Williams Out (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have lost two in a row, and the losses have been dispiriting ones at that. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were questionable on Saturday, didn’t play, and the Clippers got run out of the building. Both are questionable again for this one, as is Luke Kennard, who has missed the past 10 games. If the Clippers’ do get their stars back, it won’t be a moment too soon, as some of their “healthy” players, especially Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris, look exhausted. Asking for great health the rest of the way with an old and rather injury-prone team is probably too much, but if the Clippers can just avoid any more injuries for the next couple of weeks and build some momentum, their season will start looking a whole lot different. As is, there has been little joy in Clipperville as of late.

The Antagonist

The Hornets are one of the few teams in the NBA who can claim to be as injury-plagued as the Clippers this season. Star point guard and best player LaMelo Ball has played in just three games due to a couple of different injuries. Key rotation wing Cody Martin played in one minute this season before hurting his knee. Starting wing Gordon Hayward has played in just 11 games, and is out for a long time with a shoulder injury. Even deeper reserves like Dennis Smith Jr. and Mark Williams have missed good chunks of games, pushing players like Theo Maledon and Nick Richards into the rotation. Largely because of all that, the Hornets are 7-16 with the worst offense in the NBA, and a very bad point differential. They play hard and have a lot of veterans, but the top-end talent just isn’t there without Ball and Hayward.

Notes

Crashing the Glass: The Hornets are an awful offensive team, as mentioned, but they are good at one thing – offensive rebounding. They crash the offensive boards hard – possibly because with how bad their shooters are, a miss is by far the most likely outcome – and consistently, ranking 4^th in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game and 7^th in the percentage of missed shots that are offensive boards. The Clippers are overall a decent rebounding team, but are prone to lapses, and can’t do that against the Hornets. This is especially true since securing defensive rebounds when teams are pursuing the offensive glass allows for easy looks in transition – and the Clippers need as many easy looks as possible to get their own sputtering offense going.

Theo Maledon Regret: I still wish the Clippers had drafted Theo Maledon in the 2020 NBA Draft instead of Daniel Oturu. Maledon is on the Hornets on a two-way deal after being dumped by the Thunder and unceremoniously cut by the Rockets this offseason, and has been very good for Charlotte. The Clippers already have Reggie and Wall at point guard as well as Jason Preston in the wings, but having a steadier 3^rd string option while allowing Preston to develop in the G-League would be nice. Maledon is a good defender and very clever passer, and while not a star or even starter, he’s had a much better pro career so far than poor Oturu, who is currently a bench player for the G-League Windy City Bulls (though he’s playing well!).

Clippers vs. Hornets Preview
Robert Flom

The Clippers played one of their best games of the season, leading the Hornets throughout most of the game before turning the contest into a rout in the 4^th quarter behind a dominant bench performance. Keep reading for a full recap of the Clippers’ win over the Hornets.

Summary

The first quarter got off to a nice start, with the Clippers zinging the ball around on offense and the Hornets shooting poorly on the other end. Amir Coffey and Reggie Jackson led the Clippers’ attack, with Coffey in particular seemingly taking on more ball-handling responsibilities. However, as the quarter went along, the Hornets were able to get going a bit in transition, and ate into the Clippers’ lead. Finally, with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges still in against the Clippers’ bench, the Hornets surged ahead and took a single point edge going into the second quarter.

Serge Ibaka entered the game for Hartenstein after a minute or so, and Serge played ok on offense, draining a couple jumpers and a nice hook. However, the Clippers’ defense was more lucky than good, as the Hornets missed open three after open three. The Clippers, however, were unable to take advantage, with a cold shooting drought of their own through the middle of the period that prevented them from opening a double-digit lead. Marcus Morris woke up a bit late to help keep the Clippers ahead, but it was a shaky four point advantage going into halftime.

The Clippers got off to another hot start, with back to back threes by Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson pushing the lead to 10 for the first time. However, the Hornets answered right back with a quick 8-0 run, forcing a Ty Lue timout. A series of nice out-of-timeout plays followed, pushing the Clippers lead back up a bit. Unfortunately, just like in the first half, cold shooting meant the Clippers couldn’t grow their lead. On the plus side, Reggie getting going late followed by a terrific bench stint at the end of the quarter gave the Clippers an eight-point lead entering the final frame.

The Clippers’ bench kept things rolling, going on a 7-0 run behind some terrific ball movement and more nice defense. The Hornets starters were re-inserted at the 9:30 mark, and they were able to stem the onslaught, but could not make any inroads. Around halfway through the period, the Clippers’ lead began to grow again thanks to some more bully ball by Winslow and some slick scoring by Boston and Kennard. The Clippers’ lead reached 20, and despite some fight by the Hornets, were able to hold that lead until the game entered garbage time with a few minutes to go.

Notes

Well-Rounded Effort: This might have been the best overall Clippers’ effort this season. While it didn’t have the magic of some of their come-from-behind wins, or the starpower of some of their PG-led wins, every Clipper who played contributed, and the team mostly played well from start to finish. Eleven Clippers scored (everyone who played but Jay Scrubb), with guys like Mann and Coffey contributing on defense despite off shooting nights, Luke Kennard chipping in 10 rebounds, and Boston and Reggie each scoring 19 points in well under 30 minutes. A great, great win and effort on the road against a solid Hornets team, with the starters playing excellent defense and the bench dominating on offense.

Boston’s Best Game: While Brandon Boston has had more explosive scoring games (notably against Boston back in December), this was by far his best game as a pro. He scored 19 points in 22 minutes, not by outrageous shooting and some ball-hoggery, but by playing smart within the offense. He made a catch-and-shoot three, drained a couple midrange pull-ups, scored in transition, and converted couple tough looks around the rim. Outside of scoring, he added five rebounds and two assists with no turnovers, and played mostly solid defense. For a young second round rookie, it was a mighty impressive performance. Overall, this was more encouraging than his hot-shooting outings, and hopefully can be at least somewhat maintained down the stretch of the season.

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ win over the Hornets. Leave comments below!

Clippers vs. Hornets Recap: Clips Win in 115-90 Rout
Robert Flom