Russell Westbrook is set to return to the lineup sometime next week, possibly as soon as Monday when the Clippers face the Indiana Pacers in the second of two home games.
The future Hall of Fame guard will be a welcome sight. Westbrook proved to be an asset off the bench before a fractured left hand sidelined him for three weeks. The Clippers could use the energy right about now.
After going 31-8 from Nov. 17 to Feb. 5 with the best offense in the NBA, the Clippers have been mediocre at best, going 6-5 without the former MVP and losing four of five games before coming up with consecutive victories against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Before the Clippers can celebrate Westbrook’s expected return Monday, they must face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. In their two games against the Blazers, the Clippers played with the type of energy that propelled them to the top of the Western Conference standings in early February.
“We talked in the huddle. We cleaned up on mistakes. We knew when we actually made a mistake defensively,” coach Tyronn Lue said after Friday’s 125-117 victory against Portland. “We knew coming in at halftime, we had to take care of the ball and take care of the offense and rebounds. But down in the stretch of the game, like I said, they played hard. They competed hard.”
The Clippers (43-27) need to maintain that effort in their final 12 regular-season games if they want to hold their spot at No. 4 and stay ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (43-27).
And that’s where Westbrook can help the most, especially on the defensive side. The Clippers rank in the bottom six defensively in the league and the middle of the pack offensively. Westbrook can change the game with his defensive stops, offensive rebounding and overall intensity, qualities the team has lacked lately.
His presence also lessens the load off Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and his ability alters the energy and flow of the game.
Westbrook’s absence…
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