INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Size is king in the NBA.
The Clippers, however, don’t have it, following an injury update on backup center Isaiah Jackson that indicated he would miss at least a week with an ankle injury. With rookie big man Yanic Konan-Niederhäuser already out for the season, Brook Lopez is LA’s only option in the middle.
Facing the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, who were without star Victor Wembanyama, the Clippers struggled early on with 3-point shooting and interior defense, ultimately falling 118-99.
Darius Garland, usually a key contributor, shot 1-of-8 from distance and carried a minus-19 rating. Kawhi Leonard’s 24 points were complemented by a combined 30 from Bennedict Mathurin and Jordan Miller off the bench, but as LA started to mount a comeback early in the second quarter, San Antonio pulled away again.
The loss puts the Clippers back in the No. 9 seed in the West, half a game behind the Portland Trail Blazers. LA will face the lowly Sacramento Kings next for a chance to reach the 40-win mark.
Reporter Kasey Kazliner digested the action at Intuit Dome and analyzed it on Unclipped, TOT’s Clippers podcast. Listen below!