The Los Angeles Clippers are having a great time in the regular season. They’ve outdone a lot of people’s expectations of them as the Clippers now battle to guarantee their playoff spot. But despite having stars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden among their ranks, this will be easier said than done.
On their way stand three tough tests in the form of local rivals, the Warriors and the Kings. But before that, the Clippers must first throw down with the Houston Rockets. And to beat the second-seeded team in the West, the Clippers will need their star duo at their best. So, let’s check if they’ll be ready to go by looking at the injury report.
LA Clippers Injury Report – Will Kawhi Leonard and James Harden play against the Houston Rockets?
Kawhi Leonard is dealing with a knee injury. And because of that, the Clippers did not play him against the San Antonio Spurs. But winning against a Spurs team without the likes of De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama did not prove to be an issue for the Clips. However, repeating those heroics against the second-seeded team in the West will be much more difficult.
Especially with Kawhi Leonard listed as QUESTIONABLE. His appearance against the Rockets will be a game-time decision. But it’s likely he’ll play after being rested the game before. On the other hand, James Harden isn’t on the injury report at all. So he will be available for the Rockets game; no game-time decisions when it comes to him! However, there are still others who will miss the Rockets game entirely.
Take Seth Lundy, for instance. The 25-year-old hasn’t made a single appearance for the Clippers this season after spraining his surgically repaired left ankle back in October last year. Sharing the same fate as Lundy is Amir Coffey, who, unlike Seth, has made over 71 appearances for the Clippers this season. While most of them have been off the bench, he is an important role-player for the Clippers. But he is likely OUT against the Rockets on Wednesday.
Lastly, new signee Patty Mills will also likely miss the Rockets game. An illness kept him OUT of the Spurs game. And it’s unlikely he’ll make an appearance against Houston. But his absence won’t make much of a difference to the Clippers’ game plan heading into this game.
So with that out of the way, we can now try and see what kind of a lineup the Clippers field against the Houston Rockets.
LA Clippers vs Houston Rockets – predicted starting lineup and depth chart
Now, the Clippers have shown that they are a formidable side. Even without their stars. But for this game, Tyronn Lue will probably go with a star-studded lineup that can ensure the Clippers’ victory against a similarly stacked Houston side. Here’s who we think Ty Lue may go with against the Rockets:
POSITION
STARTER
2nd UNIT
3rd UNIT
PG
James Harden
Kris Dunn
Ben Simmons
SG
Kris Dunn
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Norman Powell
SF
Norman Powell
Kawhi Leonard (DD)
Bogdan Bogdanovic
PF
Kawhi Leonard (DD)
Derrick Jones Jr.
Nicolas Batum
C
Ivica Zubac
Ben Simmons
Drew Eubanks
This game against the Rockets will be pivotal in deciding where the Clippers end up when the regular season ends. The Warriors, Nuggets, and the Clippers all have identical 47-32 records right now. And Lue’s team certainly won’t want to be the ones to slip up first. So this game promises to be a nail-biter!
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