Fans could be forgiven for seeing the Clippers’ and Milwaukee Bucks’ injury reports on Friday morning and wondering whether they were April Fools’ Day pranks.
Between the two teams – both of which played overtime games in different cities the previous night – 14 players missed Friday night’s game, for a whole bunch of reasons, some more serious than others but none of them a joke.
The Clippers’ injury report, unspooled: Nicolas Batum (left ankle soreness); Brandon Boston Jr. (non-COVID illness); Paul George (right elbow injury maintenance); Reggie Jackson (rest); Kawhi Leonard (ACL injury recovery); Marcus Morris Sr. (left knee soreness); Norman Powell (fractured medial sesamoid bone); Jason Preston (foot surgery recovery); Jay Scrubb (foot surgery recovery).
The defending NBA champion Bucks’: Giannis Antetokounmpo (right knee soreness), Jrue Holiday (left ankle sprain); Brook Lopez (return-to-competition reconditioning); Khris Middleton (left wrist soreness); DeAndre’ Bembry (right knee surgery).
Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said on Zoom that Holiday injured his ankle in overtime of the Bucks’ 120-119 overtime victory in Brooklyn, but he didn’t have injury concerns about either All-Stars Antetokounmpo (who led his team with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six steals Thursday) or Middleton. With five games left following Friday’s, the pair simply was getting a game off to rest, as was Lopez.
For the Clippers’ part, Morris said after Thursday’s 135-130 loss in Chicago that he was “good” despite having been listed as questionable pregame with left knee soreness and then playing a season-high 39 minutes, 19 seconds.
Batum also was questionable before Thursday’s game, and he also played a season-high 38:18, and said afterward that his ankle sprain was something that “happens a lot when you play basketball, so I guess played through it tonight.”
He didn’t have to Friday, when the understudies took center stage for the Clippers’ fifth-to-last regular-season game – something more novel an event for Milwaukee than the Clippers, who have had to lean hard on their supporting cast this season with Leonard sidelined all season so far and George returning this week after missing 43 consecutive games.
“Well, they’ve done it all year, so it’s nothing new to these guys,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who debuted a lineup of Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey and, for the first time as a Clipper, Robert Covington.
Budenholzer said he’d counsel his depleted team – which also debuted a starting five of Jordan Nwora, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Jevon Carter and former Clipper Serge Ibaka – to stick to the script.
“The things that we talk about every day, whether it be practice or games,” Budenholzer said. “Be prepared for the opportunities, feel good about our whole roster, it’s always the silver lining is getting to play some guys that maybe haven’t played as much, so they’re capable.”
One of those capable contributors: Ibaka.
The veteran center – whom the Clippers dealt to the Bucks for Rodney Hood and forward Semi Ojeleye at the trade deadline – has appeared in 17 games for Milwaukee, averaging 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.6 minutes entering play Friday.
“Serge has done a lot of good things for us, he brings a lot of things we need – the rim protection, rebounding, has shot it pretty well,” Budenholzer said, noting however: “We’ve just got a really, really deep team, it’s hard to sometimes play all the good players and, he and Jevon have both been very, very impressive and very helpful to us, but … those decisions and those choices, it’s some matchup, and it’s some just the depth and the quality of the roster.”
Related Articles
Clippers can’t hold off DeMar DeRozan, Bulls in OT loss
Xavier Moon gives Clippers another point guard – and good vibes
How Paul George came back to spark another Clippers comeback
Paul George scores 34 in return as Clippers stun Jazz with another big comeback
Clippers hung in, ready to reincorporate Paul George
For the Clippers, Lue said he was looking forward to giving Xavier Moon minutes. Moon hasn’t played in the two games since he signed a two-way contract with the Clippers, for whom he appeared in six games earlier this season when they had so many players in COVID-19 health and safety protocols they brought him on for three consecutive 10-day deals.
The 6-foot-2 point guard contributed 5.5 points and 1.7 assists in 13.8 minutes per game in that stint in late December and early January.
“These other guys have played all year, they’ve been a huge part of our success this year and a huge part of why we’re at where we’re at,” Lue said. “So they’ve been through it, but X getting a chance to play tonight, we’re pretty excited about that.”