The Clippers will finish their final east coast road trip against the suddenly surging Orlando Magic.

Game Information

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Magic: Cory Joseph – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Franz Wagner – Paolo Banchero – Wendell Carter Jr.

Injuries

Clippers: Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Seth Lundy Out (G-League), Patrick Baldwin Out (G-League)

Magic: Jalen Suggs Out (Knee), Mo Wagner Out (Knee), Cole Anthony Questionable (Toe)

This is another game thread while I’m on vacation. Enjoy!

Clippers vs Magic Game Thread: Ending the Road Trip
Robert Flom

The Clippers, fresh off two wins at home, will try to pick up a third consecutive victory, this time without leading scorer Norm Powell against the visiting Orlando Magic.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Magic: Jalen Suggs – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Tristan da Silva – Franz Wagner – Goga Bitadze

Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Magic: Paolo Banchero Out (Oblique), Wendell Carter Jr. Questionable (Foot)

Clippers: Norm Powell Out (Hamstring), Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ seesaw continues, as they are now back one game over .500 after a fun win last night against the Warriors. Their defense has bounced back in victories over the Jazz and Warriors, now ranking at 6^th in the NBA after a brief lapse out of the top 10. Unfortunately, their offense has gone the other direction, placing at 22^nd in the league. The Clippers just cant get both sides of the ball in top-tier form at the same time, and as expected are leaning more towards a gritty, defense-first type squad. If they keep getting the James Harden of the past two games – fewer turnovers, more downhill drives, fantastic playmaking – they might be able to scrounge enough offense to keep winning. As Harden goes, so does the Clippers’ offense, so hopefully he can continue to improve as we head into the holidays.

The Antagonist

The Magic are 9-6, third in the Eastern Conference, despite missing star Paolo Banchero for most of the season and starting center Wendell Carter Jr. for multiple weeks as well. The Magic are thriving for two reasons. First, their defense is awesome, ranking as second-best in the entire NBA. They are young, lengthy, and physical on the perimeter and are a very solid rebounding team. It’s extremely tough to string together positive offensive possessions against the Magic’s defense. Second, Franz Wagner is making a star breakout in his fourth season, averaging career highs in points (22.9), rebounds (5.5), assists (5), and steals (1.4) while keeping turnovers low (1.9) and scoring at excellent efficiency (57.1 True Shooting). The Magic’s offense is still bad, but Franz’s ability to get buckets and make plays for others is keeping them just afloat for their defense to do the rest. They are a tough out every single game, and Franz is a force going downhill.

Notes

Norm Out: The Clippers announced yesterday that Norm Powell would miss today’s game with a hamstring strain. Norm is the Clippers’ leading scorer this year and first in threes made by a mile – their already below average offense and shooting will take a big hit as a result of his absence. The first question that must be asked is: how long will Norm be out? Hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky, so while the Clippers haven’t made a formal announcement that he will be missing a certain period of time, I’d expect Norm to miss more than just the one game. It’s possible the absence is just one game or a couple, it’s also possible it’s more than a handful. We will just have to wait and see and hope that it recovers well.

Replacing Norm: The second question, of course, is who will replace Norm? There are three likely candidates to step into Norm’s spot in the starting unit. First is Amir Coffey, who is the most similar type of player (shooter who can slash and is mostly off-ball). Second is Terance Mann, who began the year as the starter and is comfortable with that unit, but has had an uneven campaign at best. The final option is Kevin Porter Jr., who has had a couple of good games mixed in with a lot of bad ones, but seems to have the trust of the coaching staff. Coffey makes the most logical sense, and I think he’s the frontrunner to take the starting role for as long as Norm is out.

The Bench Adjustments: Of course, if Coffey (or Mann or Porter) goes to the starting unit, that opens a spot on the bench as well. Ty Lue could trim the rotation to 9 and just play the two guys who don’t start, Nic Batum, and Mo Bamba, but he’s tried to play 10 most of the season and has a couple good candidates to step in. The most logical, again, is Jordan Miller, especially if it’s Coffey who starts, as he’s a similar build and plays somewhat similarly to Coffey. Another option is Bones Hyland, who might make the most sense if it’s Porter Jr going to the starting unit. Finally is Kobe Brown, who makes less positional sense but does offer more rebounding and playmaking. I think it’s Jordan who gets the shot – which should make a lot of fans happy. Let’s see what he does with the opportunity.

Clippers vs Magic Game Preview: A Defensive Slugfest in LA
Robert Flom

The Clippers went into Orlando, took on a feisty, defensively-strong Magic team, and emerged with a gritty 100-97 win to hang onto 4th place in the West.

Summary

The first quarter was a defense-first affair. The Clippers played with energy and force to start, as did the Magic, and neither team could get into a rhythm. The Magic led 8-6 at the 6:54 mark with the first timeout, but the Clippers then went on a quick 10-0 run through stops and getting out in transition. The Magic answered, but could not quite catch up, and the Clippers nurtured a small lead the rest of the period, even when the bench unit of Russ, Norm, Coffey, and Plumlee came in to join Kawhi. After one, the Clippers led 23-19.

Things picked up tempo, with the Clippers going with their bench unit plus Harden and the Magic sticking with in all bench unit. The defense notably lapsed a bit, though the intensity did not, with Joe Ingles and Russ getting into it a bit. The Clippers led 37-32 at the 7:36 mark when most of the starters were back on both sides, and the game immediately dragged to a crawl again. Both teams actually shot well from the field, but the Clippers only took 8 threes (making three) and neither team got to the foul line much. At half, the Clippers led 52-50, partially due to having “only” seven turnovers to the Magic’s nine.

The Clippers’ defense started off stifling, and being able to get out on the break once again got them going on offense. A swift 9-0 run had the Clippers up 61-50 at 9:21, and it looked like they could pull away. Unfortunately, the Clippers became infected with the sloppy play they’ve shown all season, and a few horrible decisions by Harden led to  lightning-fast Magic 9-0 run of they’re own, bringing it back to 61-60 at 7:35. Russ came in shortly thereafter, but the Magic had confidence, and two thunderous Banchero dunks got the Magic up 68-66 at 4:19 to go. The Magic went to their bench, as did the Clippers, and Kawhi struck. The Clippers went on a 19-9 run to close the period, carried by Kawhi, and led 85-77 after three.

The Clippers ran out the same unit they used to start the 2^nd, but with worse results, especially on offense. PG quickly returned for Russ, and Kawhi and Zu came back at the 7:55 mark with the Clips up 89-83 to go with their Powell Rangers unit. The Clippers’ offensive process improved a bit, but they missed a number of open shots, and the Magic finally got going on the other end, going up 94-89 at the 4:39 mark. The Clippers’ defense tightened up, and a speedy 5-0 burst by PG tied it up. Unfortunately, he missed a corner three, and Franz got free throws the other way (though he only went 1-2) put the Magic back ahead.

Both teams locked up on defense, with buckets very hard to come by. A Kawhi middy put the Clippers up 1, but Banchero got a floater the other way. PG got stuffed at the rim by Isaac, and the Magic had a chance to go up 3 or 4. Harden was able to strip Banchero, however, and Kawhi hit a tough middy, putting the Clippers up 98-97 with 34.3 to go. Harden got another steal by deflecting a Banchero pass, and PG hit a ridiculous shot in the lane over Isaac, 100-97 with 5.1 to go. Franz got a 3 off and missed, the Magic got the ball out of bounds, and Franz missed another 3, with the Clippers barely holding on for the win.

Notes

Kawhi Carries: PG and Harden made big plays late, and Norm and Zu had solid games, but Kawhi Leonard was the steadying force all game that got the Clippers the win. In one of his most dominant performances in a while, Kawhi had 29 points on 12-21 shooting, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. He hounded Banchero and Franz on defense, got buckets whenever the Clippers needed them, and led both teams in rebounds. It was the kind of superstar performance the Clippers will have to see regularly from Kawhi if they are to make a deep playoff run.

No Small Ball: A notable change in this game was that the Clippers did not go small at all. Zu played 35 minutes (and was great) while Plumlee played 13 (and had his best game in a while despite some defensive breakdowns). There was no PJ Tucker, and only very, very limited no-center minutes to close periods on defense or offense. The Magic are a big, physical team so it made sense for the Clippers to keep a big out there, and for me, it was an encouraging sign. The Clippers’ small-ball units have viability, but they are situational, not an every-game thing, at least in heavy doses, and Ty trusting Zu like this was refreshing. Hopefully Zu closes out the season strong – if he keeps playing like this, I will feel much better about the Clippers’ defense.

Clippers vs. Magic Recap:
Robert Flom

The Clippers got a big comeback win in their last game, but can they keep that momentum going in a tough road game in Orlando?

Game Information

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida

When: 4:00 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: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Magic: Jalen Suggs – Gary Harris – Franz Wagner – Paolo Banchero – Wendell Carter Jr.

Injuries

Clippers: None

Magic: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers pulled off their win on Wednesday by the skin of their teeth, but at this point of the season, a win is a win. More importantly than the win, however, is that the Clippers actually played pretty well after the first quarter. The shotmaking wasn’t always there, but the effort and execution were for the most part. The Clippers have just 10 games left in the season, and even going 5-5 would almost certainly keep them in the top seven. If they can get to 7-3, they will probably keep their 4^th spot. Anything better would be a minor miracle. As long as they play how they did for most of the game on Wednesday, they should be able to keep themselves out of the play-in at the very least.

The Antagonist

The Orlando Magic are one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 NBA season. Projected by most pundits as a fun, up-and-coming, but still fringe team (maybe in the 35-38 win range on the bottom half of the play-in), the Magic are 42-30 and will very likely finish in the top-5 barring a collapse. Their strength is defense – they’re the 3^rd best defense in the NBA and just a hair behind the Celtics for 2^nd. Their offense is a much less pleasant 22^nd, but they have an old-school bucket getter in Paolo, an explosive 6^th man in Cole Anthony, and lots of talent up and down the roster. They aren’t a contender yet, but their defense can make any opponent miserable and keeps them competitive almost every game.

Notes

Generating Offense: The Magic are a great example of a team that doesn’t just have good (great, even) individual defenders, but play smartly, on a string, and within scheme. The Clippers’ offense has been mostly good just based on sheer talent, but they will really need to be ready to execute to get good looks against the Magic. Jalen Suggs will probably guard Harden, Franz will be on PG, and Banchero on Kawhi – all of them have the size to really bother the Clippers’ players. And when Jonathan Isaac comes in, he’s a one-man wrecking crew. There can’t be any careless passes, because they will get picked off. Hopefully the Clippers are ready for a slugfest.

Wall off the Paint: The Magic are not a great offense, and that’s largely because they don’t have many good shooters. Paolo is ok, Franz is having a down year, Wendell is just fine, and Harris is solid but not a high-volume guy. That means the Magic’s spacing is frequently cramped – and the Clippers need to adjust accordingly. Unlike many teams that you want to play to run off the three-point line, the Magic are a team that is athletic and will punish you inside, so the Clippers should try to force them into jumpers and keep them away from the rim. Easier said than done, sure, but the Clippers’ attention to detail on who to close out to and who to let shoot will need to be there.

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

Clippers vs Magic Preview: Keeping the Momentum
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to get to two games over .500 with a win over the visiting Orlando Magic with a diminished roster due to the Harden trade.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Russell Westbrook – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Kobe Brown – Mason Plumlee

Magic: Cole Anthony – Jalen Suggs – Franz Wagner – Paolo Banchero – Wendell Carter Jr.

Injury Report

Clippers: Ivica Zubac questionable (thigh), Norman Powell questionable (foot), Terance Mann out (ankle), Brandon Boston Jr. out (quad)

Magic: Kevon Harris (G League two-way), Trevelin Queen (G League two-way)

The Big Picture

Editor’s Note: Dave wrote the rest of this preview before the James Harden trade in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. All of Robert Covington, Nic Batum, Marcus Morris, and KJ Martin will thus be out (if the trade is not official by then) while James Harden and PJ Tucker will not be ready to play. Thus, even without injuries, the Clippers will be very shorthanded- though for once, it’s their stars that are playing while the depth is in shambles.

The LA Clippers come into Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic as the front end of a back-to-back. It will be the first test in terms of what the Clippers plans are for the veteran stars. As of now, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has said that the plan is to play both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George against the Magic and then evaluate how they feel for Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Clippers could be a little short-handed though against the Magic even with both Leonard and George in the lineup. Aside from the injuries to Terance Mann and Brandon Boston Jr., both Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell were added to the injury report as questionable.

Should Zubac be unable to play, Mason Plumlee would presumably move into the starting lineup. If Powell is unable to play, that would presumably mean more minutes for someone like Amir Coffey. Coffey has been the perfect example of staying ready and he will no doubt answer the call if necessary.

The Clippers have taken care of business from the get-go during both of their home games so far this season. Regardless of who is available or not against the Magic, that same mentality and sense of urgency they’ve been playing with needs to continue.

The Antagonist

The Orlando Magic come to town having dropped their first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers after starting out 2-0. It’s also the second night of a back to back for them.

This is a very young team with a potential foundational player in Paolo Banchero. They’ve been playing fairly well to start this season, especially on the defensive end. Good shot selection and ball movement is going to be key for the Clippers as not to play into the hands of the Magic’s defense.

The Clippers have had their turnover issues highlighted in the loss to the Jazz and this Magic team will make them pay if they don’t take care of the ball.

The Magic came into Crypto.com Arena last season and grabbed a win from the Clippers. That game was highlighted by the Magic getting numerous open looks from three-point range and converting them. The Magic have not been a very prolific three-point shooting team this season so that’s something the Clippers need to focus on.

With a back to back looming and the possibility of being without one or two of their stars for that game, the Clippers can’t afford to let the Magic game slip away.

Clippers vs. Magic Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers couldn’t hold on to a fourth quarter lead as they fell to the Orlando Magic, 113-108.

Summary

It was the ultimate trap game. Saturday matinee at 12 PM, no Kawhi Leonard, and a Magic team that had lost two straight and seven of their last ten. Over the past couple of seasons the Clippers haven’t been a big fan of early weekend games. That continued as a slow start and tough fourth quarter stretch buried them.

Similar to Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers got off to a poor start. The Magic led 8-0, forcing Tyronn Lue to burn an early timeout. It didn’t work initially, and the Clippers found themselves down by 11 early.

The Clippers were able to recover though off a strong stretch from Russell Westbrook. Westbrook scored six points in the final three minutes of the first quarter to get the Clippers back into the game.

The Magic were able to keep control of the game though heading into halftime. While Ivica Zubac had a double-double of ten points and ten rebounds by the half and Westbrook had 11 points, three rebounds, and five assists, Paul George struggled in the first half finishing with only seven points on 3-10 shooting.

The Clipper offense was able to keep up with the Magic, they had 55 points at the half. But they allowed the Magic to score 57 and just never seemed to get into a defensive rhythm. After the game, associate head coach Dan Craig spoke about the Clippers defensive breakdowns.

“I thought they made some timely shots. We got caught rotating on some middle drives and responding to it,” Craig said. “The pace too, we had to get back and get matched up. And there was a couple in transition.”

Echoing Craig’s words, the second half was a tale of two quarters on the defensive end. The Clippers had a solid third quarter on that end. They held the Magic to 17 points and looked like they were going to take control of the game.

But then the fourth quarter rolled around and the defense came off the rails. While the Clippers were able to get buckets, they couldn’t stop the Magic from scoring. Orlando dropped 39 points in the fourth quarter including several timely baskets from Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz as the Clippers were trying to snatch a win.

While Paul George did his best on the offensive end late in the game, it wasn’t enough as the defense just didn’t sync up.

“We didn’t finish rotations. Wendell Carter, he shot it well and on some of them we just didn’t finish rotations and we didn’t take his shot making serious,” George said. “I thought that was part of the fourth quarter, giving up some threes that we could have avoided.”

While the loss is certainly a brutal one even without Leonard suiting up, the Clippers have the opportunity to wipe the bitter taste out of their mouth with a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers with Leonard likely able to play.

“It’s another chance to play and play full strength,” George said. “It’s the nature of the league, games come quick.”

Notes

-Robert Covington got his first extended minutes a while and he produced. In 22 minutes off the bench he had 11 points and made plays all over the court on defense. Tyronn Lue even went with him late in the game in place of Zubac in a small ball lineup. With Leonard expected back against the Blazers, Covington will probably be squeezed back out of the lineup but that’s the nature of having a deep team.

Clippers Win Streak Snapped by Visiting Magic
David Yapkowitz

The Los Angeles Clippers look to continue their win streak against the visiting Orlando Magic.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 12 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, KTLA

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Russell Westbrook – Eric Gordon – Paul George – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac

Magic: Markelle Fultz – Gary Harris – Franz Wagner – Paolo Banchero – Wendell Carter Jr.

Injury Report

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard out (injury management), Norman Powell out (left shoulder), Brandon Boston Jr. out (tailbone), Jason Preston (G League Assignment), Moussa Diabate (G League Assignment), Xavier Moon (G League Assignment).

Magic: Jalen Suggs out (concussion)

The Big Picture

With the Clippers on the front end of a back-to-back, it’s not surprising that Kawhi Leonard is sitting this one out. The next opponent is the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday on the road, which is significantly more difficult than at home against the Orlando Magic.

Even with no Leonard and no Norman Powell, the Clipper should have enough to pull off a win. It’s no coincidence that the Clippers five-game losing streak came when Ivica Zubac missed four out of those five games. He’s back now and he needs to be featured prominently to take advantage of the smaller Magic frontline.

The Clippers got a little help on Friday from the Atlanta Hawks, who beat the Golden State Warriors to put a little more separation between them for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for the Clippers they didn’t get any help from this same Magic team, who lost to the Phoenix Suns in a close game on Thursday.

The Clippers are finally starting to gain some momentum and display some consistency and they can’t afford to give that all away right now. 12 PM start times are always a trap game for the Clippers who haven’t always come out ready to play in these matinee games over the past couple of seasons.

The Antagonist

The Orlando Magic come to town as one of the worst teams in the NBA. They are not mathematically eliminated from postseason play just yet, but for all intents and purposes they are.

This is a very young team that is near the bottom of the league in both points per game and offensive rating. The Clippers can keep this team from scoring, even without Kawhi. Slowing down Rookie of the Year frontrunner Paolo Banchero is the key. Banchero is the team’s leading scorer and has a very bright future ahead of him.

The Magic don’t really have anything to lose and they just took the Suns down to the wire in their last game. This game screams trap game for the Clippers and maybe if this was a few weeks ago a loss might have been expected. But the Clippers should have turned the corner by now, and a win is much needed.

Clippers vs. Magic Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers suffered a brutal loss, falling to the Magic 116-111 on the road in overtime in a game in which they led by as much as 18.

Summary

The Clippers came out of the gate hot with great ball movement and excellent defense, going up 7-0 and forcing a quick Orlando timeout. The Magic halted the onslaught for a bit, but Kawhi and PG kept rolling on both ends, forcing turnovers and missed shots and getting wide open looks. Terance Man and Moses Brown were brought in early for Reggie and Zu, and the Clippers didn’t slow down, with Mann hitting two threes. The entrance of Amir Coffey and RoCo along with Reggie and Zu for the remaining starters and Brown brought the Clippers’ run to a crawl, but the Magic still couldn’t make any dent in the lead, and the Clippers held a 32-14 edge after one.

The bench’s offense, not surprisingly, didn’t look nearly as good. Fortunately, their defense held fairly strong, which prevented the Magic from making much of an inroad. The Clippers’ starters began to trickle back in, but the offense did not return with them. The Magic, invigorated after a Mo Wagner dunk on Zu, played frantic and active defense, and the Clippers couldn’t get much going, with some of their signature turnovers creeping in as well. Thankfully, after the Magic trimmed the lead to three late, Reggie Jackson went on a personal 6-0 run to get the advantage up to 9 entering halftime.

The Magic started out with a quick push, but the Clippers responded strongly, and two Nico threes pushed the lead to 15 and forced a Magic timeout. At this point, the gaem turned sloppy, with both teams turning the ball over and not getting much positive done. Moses Brown checked in when Zu picked up his 4^th foul, and played well within his limits, getting a couple nice blocks and a putback dunk. However, the Clippers were unable to pull away, largely because they could not get stops. The bench unit plus Reggie once again struggled, and a Cole Anthony three at the buzzer cut the Clips lead to seven and gave the Magic the momentum entering the final frame.

That cursed Reggie plus bench unit was in to start the 4^th as well, and it immediately lost the lead. Reggie was just awful, and with no other real ballhandlers or playmakers on the court, the Clippers could not generate any offense. Zu checked in for Brown, but while this helped a bit defensively, it could not bring the Clippers to life on offense. Then, down 6 with 8:36 to go, Ty brought in PG and Nico for Reggie and Amir. All of a sudden, the game shifted, as the Magic’s attention to Zu brought open shots for the Clippers. The ball was popping, the defense locked in, and the Clippers quickly grew a six-point lead of their own. At the five-minute mark, Kawhi came back in for RoCo, and the game sludged up again. The Clippers’ defense was mostly fine, but their offense was not, as Kawhi and George bricked time and again. The Magic tied it up with 33.7 to go, and Kawhi missed everything on a quick ISO. The Clippers got the stop, but a swift PG push up court only generated a contested three that missed. Overtime.

With minutes restrictions in place, Kawhi, PG, and Reggie started overtime on the bench. The Clippers’ lineup with a combo of TErance and Amir was predictably bad offensively, but got just enough buckets to hang around. With the game tied at 1:22 to go, Kawhi came back in for Amir, as he had a minute left under his restriction. Bol Bol scored on an offensive rebound, but Kawhi found Nico for a 3 to put the Clips up one with under a minute to go. The Clippers then forced a Fultz turnover, giving them the ball back. At that point, things unraveled. Kawhi missed an open jumper, and then the Clippers fouled Banchero, who made two free throws to put the Magic up one. Ty called a timeout, but oddly left Moses Brown in the game (he’d come in to help rebound) after Zu fouled out, and a lineup that had never playd together all season looked very confused. The inbounds play was extremely slow developing, and the Clippers, with no timeouts, picked up a 5 second violation with 7 seconds to go. The Magic made two more free throws. The Clippers, down three with 5.5 seconds left, put in George alongside Kawhi. Unfortunately, Covington tried to make an extremely bold three-quarters court pass to George that went out of bounds. The Magic made more free throws, and the game mercifully ended.

Notes

Sit Reggie: This was a night to forget for most Clippers, but Reggie Jackson had a particularly brutal night, shooting 5-20 from the field and 2-8 from three with only one rebound in 31 minutes. He is clearly exhausted if not injured, and playing him 31 minutes tonight, even in a game without Luke, Norm, or Wall, was just a wild decision by Ty Lue. The Clippers could have staggered George and Kawhi more (or at all) to help balance out non-Reggie units, but their desire to keep those two together at all costs hurt them. Reggie needs rest, not just tomorrow hopefully, but maybe a game or two more. It’s just tough to watch him out there.

Nico & Mann Great: The only two Clippers who were legitimately very good tonight were Nic Batum and Terance Mann. Nico had 16 points on 6-11 shooting, four rebounds, and five assists in 38 minutes – the most he’s played in a long time. Mann had 19 points on 7-10 shooting with nine rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes, and both provided their usual positive defense. If the rest of the Clippers had shown up, this would have been a runaway victory.

Kawhi and PG Not Good Enough: Both of the Clippers’ star players, especially Kawhi Leonard, are shaking off rust. But they combined to shoot just 7-27 from the field, got to the line only seven times between them, and had eight assists to eight turnovers. Even worse, most of those field goals and assists came in the first quarter, when both looked great. Maybe it was running out of gas down the stretch, maybe it was just dual off nights, but neither Kawhi or PG could buy a bucket in the 4^th quarter, as the Clippers didn’t make a field goal the last 4:43 of the frame to blow an eight-point lead. Kawhi almost certainly won’t play tomorrow, and PG might not either, and I get why that’s the case – which just makes losing a game to an awful Magic team where both played 30 minutes is even more disappointing.

Clippers Collapse Late, Fall to Magic 116-111 in Overtime
Robert Flom

The Clippers take on the Magic in the second game of their four-game East Coast road trip, and the first game of a Florida back-to-back.

Game Information

Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac

Magic: Markelle Fultz – Franz Wagner – Paolo Banchero – Mo Wagner – Bol Bol

Injuries

Clippers: Norm Powell Out (Groin), John Wall Out (Knee Management), Luke Kennard Out (Calf), Marcus Morris Out (Illness), Moussa Diabate Out (G-League), Jason Preston Out (G-League)

Magic: Wendell Carter Jr. Out (Foot), Jonathan Isaac Out (G-League), Jalen Suggs Out (Ankle), Gary Harris Out (Hamstring), Chuma Okeke Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers continue to scrape together wins, with their latest victory coming on the road Monday against the Hornets with a Kawhi Leonard gamewinner. They had most of their team available in that game – something that they won’t have for this one. Each contest where the Clippers don’t have their full rotation is one that means that much less for reps and chemistry, but still, Kawhi and PG looked healthy in their returns, and that’s the most important thing. When Kawhi and Paul George play, the Clippers have been awesome, and that fact is not likely to change any time soon, especially against this Magic team.

The Antagonist

The Magic are 5-20, the worst record in the NBA, and have lost their last nine games. They have the 27^th ranked offense in the NBA as well as the 27^th ranked defense – there’s not much they’re good at. That’s at least partially due to injuries, as starting center Wendell Carter Jr. and key guard Jalen Suggs are out with injuries, as are other rotation players. Still, the future is bright for Orlando. Paolo Banchero is averaging 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists as a rookie, and getting to the line 8.4 times per game – an incredible number for a rookie. Franz Wagner has improved on his All-Rookie First Team campaign with a stellar sophomore effort, raising his scoring from 15.3 to 19.2 points per game while boosting his efficiency. Between those two and Carter, the Magic have a very talented and well-fitting frontcourt. The next step is getting a backcourt, which could mean Suggs or Markelle Fultz, who has only played four games this season, or a lottery pick in this year’s draft. Regardless, the Magic are quite bad now, but might only be a year or two away from doing real damage.

Notes

Get the Win: It doesn’t really matter how ugly the game is, a win is a win, especially on the road. The Clippers only play the Magic twice, and they absolutely have to win both encounters – every game against a tanking team is a precious commodity in the highly competitive 2023 NBA, and the standings are still extremely tight. Every loss against tanking teams will hurt that much more at the end of the season.

Who Will Start for Morris: I penciled Nic Batum into the starting lineup above, but it remains to be seen who starts for Marcus Morris, who has been a constant for the Clips to start the year. It could be Batum, who has been playing great lately and is the logical “next man up”. It could be Robert Covington, who got a DNP-CD on Monday and has overall not played much, but whose starting would allow Nic to stay in his usual bench role. Or it could even be a smaller wing like Terance Mann or Amir Coffey, pushing Kawhi to the power forward spot. I’d bet on Nico or RoCo, but Terance as been awesome of late as well, so starting him is a possibility too.

Staggering Rest: I do like that it seems as if the Clippers are “staggering” who gets rest or load managed for this back-to-back stretch. George and Kawhi are playing in this one, and I don’t think Kawhi will play against the Heat on Thursday, while George might sit that one out too. However, Wall and Luke are getting this game to rest, and presumably will be back on Thursday (Morris might as well – we don’t know how “real” is sickness is). By not resting all of their players in the same game, the Clippers are giving themselves decent chances to win each game while still providing their players with rest and giving multiple chances to guys like Coffey and Covington to win back some minutes.

Clippers vs Magic Preview: First Game of Back to Back
Robert Flom

The Clippers came back from a 14-point deficit to win handily over the offensively woeful Orlando Magic on the road, returning to a .500 record for the first time in nearly two weeks. Keep reading for a full recap of the Clippers’ win over the Magic.

Summary

The theme of the first half was an odd disparity in refereeing, and that impact was felt right away, as Reggie Jackson picked up two quick fouls and was taken out for Eric Bledsoe. Fortunately, even as the Clippers racked up fouls and the Magic accumulated free throws, the Magic’s cold shooting kept their lead small. The Clippers were icy as well to start, only getting loose halfway through the period when Nic Batum knocked down a couple threes. The bench played well in general, upping the defense and cutting the Magic lead down to two.

Unfortunately, the Clippers got in foul trouble right away in the second quarter, with Isaiah Hartenstein picking up three fouls in 90 seconds and subbed by Serge Ibaka. This is around when the Magic went on  run – the Clippers had several careless turnovers, and their defense slacked, allowing several wide open shots around the rim. The Magic lead hit 14, but quick Brandon Boston and Luke Kennard threes brought it back down to eight. As the starters trickled in, the Clippers’ defense tightened, with the Magic turning the ball over themselves. Finally, a flurry of late threes gave the Clippers a 49-48 lead at halftime despite shooting zero free throws to the Magic’s 12. Nic Batum led the good guys with 12 points, all on threes.

The third quarter did not start as smoothly, as the offense reverted to the struggles at the start of the game. At the center of the issues was Reggie Jackson, who had some awful shots and turnovers and was removed from the game early for Bledsoe with the Magic up four. The rest of the quarter went a bit better, but the Clippers’ offense never really got into much of a rhythm, showing life only in isolations and off turnovers. The result was that the Clippers hung around, but could not definitively break through, and trailed by two going into the final frame.

While the Clippers’ energy was fine all game, they notably upped their intensity and effort at the start of the 4^th. Their activity in the paint and on the offensive glass finally bore fruit in Magic fouls, putting the Magic in the bonus at the 10:11 mark of the quarter. Even the insertion of the still struggling Jackson could not slow the Clippers much, as despite some offensive difficulties, their defense continued to limit the Magic’s attack. The Magic continued to misfire, and with a couple Winslow free throws and belated Jackson jumpers, the Clippers’ lead grew to 13 with under three minutes to go. That basically ended the game, and the Clippers closed it out with their deep bench unit.

Notes

Balanced Rebounding: One consistent issue for the Clippers this season has been rebounding. And while the Magic are bad, they do start two big men in Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba, and have some big wings in Franz Wagner and Chuma Okeke. Therefore, it was great to see the Clippers outrebound the Magic 49-38 (partially because the Magic were so cold, to be fair), and limit them to just seven offensive rebounds, most on long bounces off threes. The Clippers rebounded in numbers, with nobody getting more than 8 (Winslow), but eight players logging at least 4. This is the kind of effort the Clippers will need to win games when they’re down their superstars.

Kennard’s Spacing: After his heroics last night, Luke Kennard had another big game, scoring 17 points on 6-9 shooting, and leading the Clippers in plus/minus with +23 in 32 minutes. The Clippers noticeably had more spacing on offense when he was in the game, and suffered at the start of the first and third quarters with him on the bench. The Clippers probably won’t start him in their healthy, non-PG and Kawhi unit, but he’s going play a lot of minutes due to the lack of shooting the Clippers sometimes have.

Bully Ball Winslow: Justise Winslow had one of his best games of the season today after another solid performance yesterday, scoring seven points (all on free throws) and collecting eight rebounds in 23 minutes while providing lots of defense, hustle, and pace. He remains an awkward fit at times due to his complete lack of shooting, but the Clippres have been able to work around that as long as they get stops when he’s on the court. His ability to use his strength to muscle his way to the rim and draw fouls is also useful, even though his actual touch around the basket is dreadful. He played over Brandon Boston in the second half, and it was undoubtedly the right call. There will be nights where he’s not needed, and on a fully healthy Clippers roster he’s out of the rotation, but Winslow has at least given the Clippers something in January, and that’s a great sign.

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ win over the Magic. Leave your comments below, and prepare for a much tougher game against the scorching Heat on Friday night.

Clippers vs. Magic Recap: Win To Return to .500
Robert Flom