Two days after an exhilarating blowout win against the Atlanta Hawks, the LA Clippers stay home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Could tonight be the night that we see Kawhi Leonard and Paul George play together for the LA Clippers?
After missing the previous two games for load management/knee contusion, the Clippers’ All-NBA Forward is currently listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s game against the Thunder. If he suits up, this will be the first time that both of the Clips’ major acquisitions from last offseason play in a game together.
Patrick Beverley is listed as questionable with a sore calf, and the Clippers will again be without Landry Shamet as he rehabs a high ankle sprain.
Facing off against the Clippers are the 5-7 Oklahoma City Thunder, who last played on Friday the 15th in a 127-119 overtime victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
This will be an emotional game for some, as it’s the first time Clippers fans will see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, after they were shipped to OKC in the Paul George swap.
Shai is sure to receive a warm welcome, as he was a fan favorite in his rookie year with the Clips.
The second-year guard is currently leading OKC in points with 20.4 per game while tacking on 3 assists and 5 rebounds.
The Thunder have 6 players shooting greater than 40% from deep, which is something Doc Rivers will have to gameplan around. The Clippers are currently tied for 24th in the league in 3PT% allowed, a trend which you have to think reverses itself once Kawhi and PG are both on the court.
The Clips should be able to comfortably win the rebounding battle. We grab the second most rebounds per game in the league, while the Thunder are at 24. That could translate to a lot of second-chance points for the good guys, something that Montrezl Harrell, in particular, should feast on.
This could also be a chance for some of the young guys to continue to carve out a place in the rotation. In particular, Terance Mann is averaging almost 20 minutes per game in the last 3, and last game against the Hawks, he put up a 13/8/6 statline on efficient shooting.
Jerome Robinson also put up numbers against the Hawks (but who didn’t, really?). He’s got to be looking to build upon his 21 point outing. The more contribution we can get from these guys (not to mention Mfiondu Kabengele), the less we have to rely on PG and Kawhi in the regular season.
It should be a fun game to watch in LA. Make sure to tune in and support the good guys, and follow us on twitter for all your (mostly) relevant Clippers news!