As the LA Clippers continue their business trip on the eastern side of the United States, they are hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers today at Rocket Arena. This is the second time within 14 days they have met Cleveland, with the first being under LA's home territory.
Moreover, the Clippers have gone .800 in their last ten, including their latest 32-point blowout win against the Brooklyn Nets. After the first frame, it was a back-and-forth contest, but LA remained concentrated and crushed the Nets in the second and third.
Franchise superstar Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points on 10-14 shooting in 27 minutes, but what must be considered is that he appeared to dominate without putting in serious effort. This is arguably the best he has played since his Clippers era began, parallel to LA’s postseason stride.
Star big man Ivica Zubac also turned the Nets’ frontcourt into barbecue chicken, scoring 21 points without missing a single shot. He added 12 rebounds, which marked his 50th double-double of the year. This is the most since Clipper legend Blake Griffin in 2011.
Furthermore, head coach Tyronn Lue brought in Patty Mills, with the score gaining major separation. Though he is usually known for his contagious energy, Mills scored 14 points in seven minutes, nine of which came from three-pointers. This is incredible and shows he is still a talented scorer.
Conversely, the Cavaliers have 15 losses on the year. This is absurd, but what turns heads is that five of them have occurred since March 16th. This demonstrates the pinnacle of adversity they are enduring near the 82-game finish line.
However, Cleveland is fresh off an eight-point win against the San Antonio Spurs. Kenny Atkinson made the call to play center Jarrett Allen for 30 minutes, and it was pivotal as he stamped 29 points and 15 boards.
Superstar Donovan Mitchell added 29 points and a career-high 14 assists with just one turnover.
Is Kawhi Leonard playing in the afternoon matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers?
No, Kawhi Leonard will be out of Tyronn Lue’s rotation today. His injury designation is right knee injury management.
Injury report for Clippers at Cavaliers March 30th
The LA Clippers will not have Kawhi Leonard and Jordan Miller(left hamstring). Their G-League reserves are on assignment.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be game-planning without Ty Jerome(left knee), Jaylon Tyson(left knee), and Emoni Bates(G-League). Jerome’s absence is detrimental for Cleveland’s second unit.