LOS ANGELES — Veteran Kevon Looney, as regular and sturdy as anybody within the league, was dominated out for Monday night time’s Warriors sport in opposition to the Clippers on the Intuit Dome with an sickness.
Looney, 28, has been particularly efficient this season after slimming down over the summer season. He ranks third within the NBA in offensive rebounds per sport (4.3) regardless of enjoying roughly half as many minutes as everybody else within the top-10.
Looney’s position on the boards is a part of why the Warriors, regardless of being the shortest workforce within the league, rank extremely in rebounding metrics.
The Warriors (10-2) downgraded Looney from questionable to out on the 1:30 p.m. replace on the official harm report. Steph Curry (left knee bursitis) and Lindy Waters III (left knee hyperextension) are every listed as questionable; De’Anthony Melton is out with an ACL sprain. The Clippers (7-7), on the second night time of a back-to-back of their new constructing, stay with out celebrity Kawhi Leonard (knee restoration).
Final March, Looney misplaced his streak of 290 consecutive video games performed after getting a DNP. He has performed in all however one sport this season, having gotten a DNP in opposition to the Thunder — who went tremendous small after Chet Holmgren’s harm.
The Clippers are one in every of solely two groups to beat the Warriors this 12 months. Of their first assembly, on the Chase Middle, Clippers middle Ivica Zubac recorded 23 factors, 18 rebounds (six offensive), two steals and a block. On the 12 months, Zubac is averaging career-highs in each factors (15.9) and rebounds (12.1) per sport.
With out Looney, extra onus will fall on Trayce Jackson-Davis and Draymond Inexperienced to decelerate Zubac. Golden State can be more likely to play extra small lineups, with Kyle Anderson working as the middle.
Notable
— Each Brandin Podziemski and Steph Curry scaled “The Wall” — the Intuit Dome’s superfan part that inclines steeper than conventional stands — throughout shootaround.
“I tried to run as much as I could, probably got like three-quarters of the way up,” Podziemski stated. “It tired me out.”
— When the Clippers beat the Warriors on Oct. 27, Golden State dedicated a season-high 21 turnovers. The Warriors are 8-0 when committing 15 or fewer turnovers and 2-2 in any other case.
— Podziemski stated the coaching workers remains to be making an attempt to diagnose precisely what sickness befell him earlier this month. He couldn’t end the sport in Washington as a result of he felt dizzy and lightheaded, after which was sidelined the subsequent sport in Boston, too.
Podziemski returned to the lineup and has been enjoying with out his protecting masks since Nov. 12. After a pair of video games wherein he was hesitant offensively, Podziemski stated he felt significantly better about his most up-to-date efficiency — an 11-point, seven-rebound, five-assist sport in opposition to Memphis.
— Clippers guard James Harden handed Ray Allen on the all-time 3-point leaderboard on Sunday night time, slotting behind solely Curry. The 2018 MVP is a profession 36.3% profession 3-point shooter and is 807 makes shy of Curry’s document.
