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Game information
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: Friday, December 11 at 7 pm PT
How to watch / listen: Main entrance to Fox Sports, Spectrum SportsNet, AM 570 LA Sports
Projected starting lineups:
Scissors: Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka
Lakers: Dennis Schröder, Wesley Matthews, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell
Injuries / Absences
Scissors: Jay Scrubb (foot surgery) – OUT, Marcus Morris Sr. (knee pain) – OUT
Lakers: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marc Gasol (break) – OUT, Alfonzo McKinnie (excused absence) – OUT
It’s been 87 days since the Clippers last took to the court to play an NBA basketball game. A lot has changed since then.
The Clippers are back in Los Angeles, playing at Staples Center for the first time since March 8. Doc Rivers left after seven seasons with the team, Montrezl Harrell, JaMychal Green, Landry Shamet and Rodney McGruder went their separate ways. Even though the Clippers face their rivals Lakers, the stakes are much lower. It’s just preseason.
But in a worsening pandemic, the comfort of watching the Clippers play is not something to be overlooked. Despite the league’s plans for a full season, taking back basketball is a gift that can be taken away at any time. It’s just preseason, but it’s Clippers basketball, and it’s worth enjoying.
On the court, the Clippers return as a great team, led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who recently pledged to spend the next five years of their careers with this franchise. The two did not play together until the 15th game of the regular season last year, so joining forces in the preseason is a substantial advantage. Head coach Ty Lue said both stars have participated in every drill in practice thus far at game speed, and while the minutes will obviously increase during preseason, there is no indication that either player is left out this time. night or the next. three games.
The Clippers will play their boys tonight against the Lakers. LeBron and AD are out
– Joe Vardon (@joevardon) December 11, 2020
The rest of the team is ready to go, too, save for rookie Jay Scrubb, who believes he will miss the first 3-4 months of the season recovering from foot surgery. That still leaves 19 players available against the Lakers, including the projected starting lineup of Patrick Beverley, George, Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Ivica Zubac.
All eyes will also be on newcomers, specifically Serge Ibaka when the Clippers first face Harrell in a Lakers uniform. It’s an exhibition, but it wouldn’t hurt to get off to a good start against the player who bore much of the blame for last year’s postseason failures.
The game will look and feel a little different even from those in the bubble, as the Clippers take the floor in a cavernous, empty arena, one that was filled to the brim about a year ago for this very matchup. It almost feels incomprehensible that the NBA is proceeding this way. But basketball will be back on our screens tonight. Hopefully it’s good.
For more Scissors talk, subscribe to the Clips Nation podcast at iTunes or Spotify.
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