Clippers’ Paul Pierce ’50-50′ for Sunday’s game against Cavaliers; Luc Mbah a Moute likely back

Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Clippers veteran forward Paul Piece sat out Friday’s 101-94 victory over the New York Knicks with a sore right big toe. Coach Doc Rivers isn’t sure if Pierce will be available Sunday when the Clippers play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at 12:30 p.m. at Staples Center.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “Probably 50-50.”

Forward Luc Mbah a Moute (lacerated eyelid) is likely to return Sunday.

Luc Mbah a Moute thought his eye was out when he was injured Feb. 29 against Brooklyn

Luc Mbah a Moute

Luc Mbah a Moute/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

When Luc Mbah a Moute was inadvertently raked across the face during the L.A. Clippers’ 105-95 victory over Brooklyn on Feb. 29 at Staples Center, he immediately ran into the tunnel and into the locker room without stopping to say a word to anyone.

Now we know why. Mbah a Moute, who sustained a lacerated left lower left eyelid, received stitches. But he thought it was going to be worse than that when it happened.

“It felt like my eye was out,” he said Friday before the Clippers played host to the New York Knicks. “It was scary.”

Mbah a Moute missed his fifth consecutive game since the incident, but there is a good chance he’ll play Sunday when the Clippers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center.

“Maybe Sunday,” said Mbah a Moute, whose eye looked like it was close to back to normal; it was at first swollen nearly shut, coach Doc Rivers said.

Rivers also spoke in confident tones about Mbah a Moute’s return against the Cavs.

“He’s doing a lot better,” Rivers said. “He worked out yesterday with goggles on. I’m hoping that improves his jumper.”

Rivers laughed.

“But I think he’ll play Sunday,” he said. “I don’t know that as a fact, but he’s feeling a lot better. He’s seeing one person, which is nice, so I think he’ll play.”

Five things to take from Clippers’ 120-108 loss at Oklahoma City

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki). Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) passes around Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams, right front, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

Chris Paul, 3, of the Clippers passes the ball as he’s being hounded by Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder/AP photo by Sue Ogrocki

 

– Remember how OKC’s Russell Westbrook went 0-for-6 from the field during the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 103-98 come-from-behind victory over the Thunder on March 2 at Staples Center? Westbrook sure did. He scored 25 points, doled out 20 assists and pulled down 11 rebounds in this rematch. He became the first to have a triple-double consisting of at least 25 points, 20 assists and 10 rebounds since the Lakers’ Magic Johnson did it in 1998.

Coach Doc Rivers and starting guards Chris Paul and J.J. Redick all said that their team did not play well at all on defense. Rivers gave credit to Westbrook, but also intimated his team did not make it tough on him to do what he did. “He was great,” Rivers said. “I mean, he didn’t have a lot of resistance, though, you know?”

– Rivers had another interesting comment when asked about his team’s focus, or lack thereof. “Tonight, for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like we had the right focus or spirit, or whatever, and I want to give them credit,” he said. “They were better prepared than us tonight and that’s on me.” It makes one wonder how the Clippers (41-22) could have been ill-prepared for a game of such magnitude. A victory would have pulled them within a half-game of the third-place Thunder (44-40) in the Western Conference standings. With the loss, the fourth-place Clippers are now 2 1/2 back of OKC.

– With forwards Blake Griffin and Luc Mbah a Moute both out, the Clippers were outrebounded 52-29. DeAndre Jordan went into the game averaging 14.1 rebounds, and he had a season-low seven. The last time Jordan had fewer than 10 rebounds was Jan. 22, when he had eight in a 116-88 victory at New York.

– One has to wonder how much longer coach Rivers is going to give Wes Johnson the green light – especially from distance. Johnson shot just 1 of 6 from the field in this one, 0 of 3 from 3-point range. Johnson over his past seven games has made just 5 of 29 from beyond the arc. That is 17.2 percent. Johnson is 14 of 59 overall during the same period for an absolutely woeful 23.7 percent. On the season, Johnson is shooting 39.9 percent overall, 32.3 percent from deep.

Chris Paul ponders what Wednesday’s big win over OKC can do for Clippers

Chris Paul (3) of the Clippers tries to chase down OKC’s Serge Ibaka during the first half of the Clippers’ 103-98 come-from-behind victory on Wednesday at Staples Center/AP photo by Mark J. Terrill

 

The Clippers on Wednesday night were down by 17 points to Oklahoma City after three quarters, then came all the way back to defeat the Thunder 103-98 at Staples Center. It was arguably the Clippers’ most impressive victory of the season, under the circumstances. Keep in mind they were again without Blake Griffin, as well as Luc Mbah a Moute (left eyelid laceration).

Point guard Chris Paul afterward was asked if it was the type of win that could affect the team in a positive way moving forward.

“It could,” said Paul, who scored 21 points and had 13 assists. “We’ve got a few days between games for Atlanta. Atlanta’s a really good team, playing with a lot of fight right now. So, I mean, we’ll see. But for us, we know that we play OKC again in seven days, so we knew that we needed to show up.”

The Clippers (40-20) host Atlanta (33-28) on Saturday at 7:30 at Staples Center.
With 22 games left in the regular season, the fourth-place Clippers moved within 1 1/2 games of third-place Oklahoma City in the Western Conference standings with Wednesday’s victory. The teams play again next Wednesday at Oklahoma City and March 31 there as well.

Five things to take from Clippers’ 115-112 loss to Golden State

 

2016-02-20 Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 32 points for the Warriors on Saturday in their 115-112 win over the Clippers/Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA Today

 

Jeff Green did not have a good debut for the Clippers. He scored five points on just 2 of 7 shooting. He had two rebounds, one assist and three turnovers in just under 20 minutes. But once he’s acclimated, expect him to take one of the starting forward spots currently held by Paul Pierce and Luc Mbah a Moute. Once Blake Griffin returns, expect both Pierce and Mbah a Moute to be coming off the bench.

– Speaking of Pierce and Mbah a Moute, they didn’t bring much to this game. Mbah a Moute played just under 13 minutes and had no points on one shot attempt, zero rebounds and one turnover. Pierce scored two points on 1 of 7 shooting in just under 16 minutes. Pierce had no rebounds, two assists, one turnover and four personal fouls.

– Kudos to the reserves for bringing the Clippers back from a 16-point deficit with 2:27 to play. Doc Rivers admitted the team had a timeout it could have used after the steal that led to C.J. Wilcox’s long-distance shot at the buzzer that would have tied the game had it gone in. But he said it all happened so quick and, besides, Rivers correctly noted, that’s not why they lost the game. They were out-played by a great team for most of it. That’s why they lost.

– The biggest Clippers killer in this one was not Steph Curry, but his Splash Brothers compadre Klay Thompson. Thompson scored a game-high 32 points on 11 of 22 shooting – 4 of 9 from distance – made all six of his free throws, pulled down seven rebounds, doleld out three assists and made three steals. The cherry on top – he had zero turnovers in nearly 40 minutes.

Chris Paul left the game with 4:47 to play with a thigh bruise. Afterward, he said, “I’ll be all right. I’ll definitely be ready by Monday.” Paul had 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and just one turnover in nearly 35 minutes of this one.

J.J. Redick: Others will have to step up in absence of Blake Griffin

Chris Paul celebrates during the second half of Saturday’s win at Utah/AP photo by Rick Bowmer

 

When arguably your best player goes down, someone always has to step up and pick up the slack for a team.

“It’s a cliché, but it is the next-man-up attitude,” Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick said after his team defeated the Utah Jazz 109-104 on Saturday in Utah without leading scorer Blake Griffin, who will be out at least two weeks with a partially torn quad tendon. “Certain nights it might be one guy and another night a different guy. You cannot replace what Blake brings. For however long of a duration it is, whether it is a week or three weeks, we have to all be ready to step in and make big plays.”

Redick mentioned Paul Pierce as one guy who stepped up to the plate. Pierce scored 20 points on 6 of 11 shooting, 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Redick himself also did more than usual, scoring a team-high 25 points on 8 of 11 from the field – 5 of 7 from beyond the arc.

Although his line score doesn’t really show it, Redick also praised the play of Luc Mbah a Moute on Saturday. He scored seven points with a steal and a block. He had just one rebound, though, in 31 minutes.