Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 3 – NBA Blog

In tight Western conference race, Clippers fall to Pelicans

Via the Los Angeles Times:

The Clippers need a strong regular-season finale if they want to avoid the play-in tournament or keep home-court advantage for a first-round series.

With beginnings like the one on Saturday, that will be more challenging to accomplish.

The Clippers were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening five minutes of the first quarter by a score of nine.

An 11-point hole had widened to a 19-point margin two minutes into the second quarter.

The third quarter had hardly begun when their 12-point deficit had grown to 18.

The Clippers would eventually lose 131-110, and the second half’s focus shifted to what was happening off the court because the suspense had all but been taken out of the game. Four minutes remained in the third quarter when Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was elbowed in the face by Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram. Team executives promptly got up from their seats to pursue Him down the arena tunnel.

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Paul George injured with sprained right knee

L.A. Clippers forward Paul George underwent imaging today that revealed a sprained right knee.

The team says he will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.

Via the LA Times:

Within the Clippers, the update was taken with a measure of optimism. Still, the timing means the Clippers will navigate the rest of the regular season — nine games remain — without George, who leads the team in scoring, assists and steals. And there is no guarantee he will be back for the postseason — assuming the Clippers reach it.

The regular season ends April 9. The play-in tournament featuring teams the finish seventh through 10th in the Western Conference begins within days. The first round of the playoffs is expected to begin the weekend of April 15.

Kawhi Leonard speaks on recent Clippers wins

Via the LA Times:

Inside the Clippers’ locker room Sunday night in Portland following a victory over the Trail Blazers, a fifth win in their past six games to move within a half-game of fourth place in the Western Conference standings, there was a feeling — of cautious optimism.

“I think we were starting to jell a little bit more, like I said, just experience playing with each other,” Leonard said ahead of home games against eighth-place Oklahoma City (35-36) on Tuesday and Thursday. “You get new guys coming in, there’s different colors you’re seeing, different coaches’ voices, different schemes, it’s totally different, different city.

“So I think once those guys settled in and was able to see what we’re doing I think things started to change, but we still got to get better. It’s a lot of things, a lot of mistakes that we’re making at times but we just got to clean that up a little bit and see if we can just keep making leaps.”

Clippers waive Moses Brown

The LA Clippers have waived Moses Brown, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

Brown, 23, appeared in 34 games with one start for the Clippers this season, averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 63.5% from the field. The 7-foot-2 center has appeared in 126 career games, averaging 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds with the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Clippers.

Magic, Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers complete 4-team trade

The Orlando Magic have acquired guard Patrick Beverley and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as a future second round draft pick (2024 selection) from the Denver Nuggets, as part of a four-team trade also involving the L.A. Clippers, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today. Orlando sends center Mo Bamba to the L.A. Lakers as part of the deal.

The Magic are not requiring Patrick Beverley to report.

Other details of the trade are as follows: Denver acquires Thomas Bryant from the L.A. Lakers, the L.A. Clippers acquire Bones Hyland from Denver, and the L.A. Lakers acquire Bamba from Orlando, Davon Reed from Denver, as well as two future second round draft picks (2024 and 2025 selections) from the L.A. Clippers.

Bamba (7’0”, 230, 5/12/98) has played in 40 games (six starts) this season with Orlando, averaging 7.3 ppg., 4.6 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 17.0 minpg., while shooting .398 (43-108) from three-point range. He ranks 29th in the NBA in blocked shots (0.95 blkpg.).

Originally selected in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft by Orlando, Bamba has played in 266 career NBA regular season games (81 starts), all with the Magic, averaging 7.7 ppg., 5.8 rpg. and 1.37 blkpg. in 18.3 minpg.

Beverley (6’2”, 180, 7/12/88) has played and started in 45 games this season with the L.A. Lakers, averaging 6.4 ppg., 3.1 rpg. and 2.6 apg. in 26.9 minpg. He scored in double figures nine times, including a season-high 18 points on Jan. 25 @ San Antonio.

Originally selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft by the L.A. Lakers, Beverley has played in 571 career NBA regular season games (483 starts) with Houston, the L.A. Clippers, Minnesota and the L.A. Lakers, averaging 8.7 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 3.4 apg. and 1.12 stlpg. in 27.4 minpg.

Catching up with Clippers forward Nicolas Batum

Via the Los Angeles Times:

Clippers teammates were gathering in the key and coaches were talking in a circle at midcourt, but Nicolas Batum was in no hurry to leave his courtside chair and begin shootaround on a late November morning.

Only weeks from his 34th birthday, the wing turned his eyes toward the empty upper deck of Portland’s Moda Center and his memories of the younger version of himself that spent his first seven seasons with the Trail Blazers.

“It’s a special place,” Batum said. “I grew up here.”

Growing up in the NBA requires absorbing often painful lessons. Growing old in the league, however, is reserved for the few who can put what they’ve learned into action. Batum, with 1,006 games on his resume including the regular season and playoffs, counts as a survivor, a longevity he traces to the first, and perhaps the most enduring, career lesson he took in weeks before his first official game.

The Clippers are 19-14 this season, which is the 5th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Paul George at 23.4 PPG, Kawhi Leonard at 15.3 PPG, and Norman Powell, mostly off the bench, at 14.8 PPG.

After loss to Clippers, Lakers fall to 2-9

Via the Los Angeles Times:

His team is in the midst of yet another losing streak and his star player left the game Wednesday because of left leg soreness, but Lakers coach Darvin Ham said his mental state is not that of, “Woe is me.”

As a first-year coach, Ham said his spirits have been “great” despite a 2-9 record that has left the Lakers with the second-worst record in the NBA and LeBron James injured during the fourth quarter of their loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night.

The Lakers opened the season with a five-game losing streak, won two straight and now have lost four in a row.

Yet Ham’s view is more positive during these troubled times for the Lakers, saying things like how “blessed” he is to coach the Lakers and to live in sunny Los Angeles.

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LA Clippers fined by NBA for violating league injury reporting rules

The NBA today announced the LA Clippers have been fined $25,000 for violating league injury reporting rules. The Clippers failed to disclose an accurate game availability status for guard Brandon Boston Jr. and forward Moussa Diabate prior to the Clippers game vs. the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 30 at Crypto.com Arena.

The Clippers listed Boston Jr. and Diabate as unavailable (due to an assignment in the NBA G League) but both players ultimately played in the game.

Clippers face Lakers tonight

Via the OC Register:

The Clippers tip off against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in what is nominally a Lakers home game.

The Lakers are 0-1, LeBron James is wasting no time pointing fingers, and columnist Jim Alexander says it feels like they’re working on the next miniseries.

Into the Lakers’ old role as L.A.’s NBA championship hope step the Clippers, who have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both healthy for the first time in 16 months and their stars sounding like leaders…

In Las Vegas, the Clippers have the second-lowest odds to win the Western Conference (a consensus +325, close behind the Warriors) and the fourth-lowest (+662) to win the NBA title, and a win-total line (52½) as high as anyone except the Celtics.

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LA Clippers and Bally Sports SoCal agree to a media rights extension

The LA Clippers and Bally Sports SoCal have agreed to a multi-year media rights extension, continuing the networks’ 27-year relationship with the team. Bally Sports SoCal will produce, televise, and stream 63 Clippers games during the 2022-23 regular season.

“We’re proud to continue growing our long-term partnership with the Clippers organization,” said Rebecca Schulte, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Bally Sports West, SoCal, and San Diego. “We look forward to furthering our commitment to innovation and are thrilled to be bringing Clippers basketball to as many fans as possible across cable, satellite, streaming TV, and new this season, Bally Sports+, our direct-to-consumer streaming service.”

Brian Sieman, Jim Jackson, and Mike Fratello will return to the call on Bally Sports SoCal, joined by on-court reporters Kristina Pink and Jaime Maggio. The network will continue to air Clippers Live prior to and immediately following all home and road telecasts. Led by Jeanne Zelasko, Don MacLean, Corey Maggette, and Noah Eagle, the half-hour show will offer in-depth analysis, exclusive interviews and more