Lou Williams rejoins the LA Clippers as they face the Phoenix Suns.
After missing the team’s first two games, Lou Williams will make his official Orlando debut as the LA Clippers “host” the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Williams was undergoing a ten-day quarantine after the NBA decided he would have to isolate longer than normal after visiting Magic City to get wings during an approved exit from the league’s bubble. Williams was listed as questionable yesterday on the team’s injury report but will reportedly play today, albeit on a minutes restriction according to Doc Rivers.
This is big for the LA Clippers who have been without either of their star bench players. Montrezl Harrell still has not rejoined the team in Orlando after exiting the bubble for a family emergency. Harrell later posted that his grandmother passed away and there is no expectation of when he will return to the team.
Clippers guard Lou Williams has cleared his 10-day quarantine and will make his NBA restart debut today against the Suns, his agent Wallace Prather tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2020
The Clippers have manged without either though, going 1-1 (with the loss only coming by two points to the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers). During Saturday’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the team broke a franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single game. With Williams back, the offense will only become more potent.
The return of Williams will give the bench a bigger scoring impact and could move guard Reggie Jackson into more of an off-ball role. Jackson struggled in his starting role versus the Lakers but looked more comfortable Saturday with the second unit.
Speaking of the second unit, expect to see a lot of them in this game. With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both looking excellent, this game shouldn’t be too competitive. If the Clips can get out to an early lead, we may get another night where George and Leonard don’t touch the court in the fourth quarter.
It’s unclear yet if the Clippers will load manage while in the bubble but getting rest for their stars in the fourth quarter is always a plus.
The Clippers take the court at 4:00 PM EST/ 1:00 PM PST. Make sure to follow us on Twitter during the game and to check back here afterward for all your postgame coverage, news, rumors, and more!