Forward Luc Mbah a Moute will not play in tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards for the LA Clippers.
LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute will not play tonight, per Clippers PR. He has been dealing with a knee injury and missed the Clippers matchup versus the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Initially reported to be questionable for tonight’s game, Mbah a Moute’s status was changed a few hours ahead of LA’s matchup with the Washington Wizards. The severity of the injury is unknown, but it’s something that the coaching and medical staff are surely keeping an eye on.
Mike Scott should see more minutes tonight in Mbah a Moute’s absence. Although the Clippers roster is deep as a whole this season, they have much more depth at guard than forward. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see Doc Rivers implement more three-guard lineups tonight.
In the past, Tyrone Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been used in these sets. Expect more of the same tonight against Washington.
Guard Milos Teodosic saw a season-high 19 minutes on Friday and should see the floor again tonight. He recorded eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists against Houston’s porous defense. Gilgeous-Alexander received a season-high 31 minutes as well on Friday, going for 10 points.
Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari could also receive extra minutes. The two have played exceptionally well this season, especially together. Both forwards are contributing just over 42 combined points per game this season for the LA Clippers, shooting a combined 41.2 percent from the three-point line.
Tonight’s matchup will carry personal significance for a few players. It will be the first time that Austin Rivers faces Los Angeles since he was traded, and the first time that Marcin Gortat faces the Wizards since he was returned by Washington.
Both players have been having sub-par seasons for their respective new squads.
Rivers, after averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game last season for the Clippers, is scoring just 7.8 per game this season on 32 percent shooting from three — down significantly from the 37.8 percent he shot as a Clipper in 2018.
Likewise, Gortat has looked far from his best form this season. His 3.6 points per game are his lowest mark since 2009, and his 6.4 rebounds are his lowest since the following season in 2010. Whether he stays within LA’s starting rotation is yet to be known.
The LA Clippers will host the Washington Wizards tonight at 6:30 PM PST/9:30 PM EST at STAPLES Center.