
As soon as trusted to information the Los Angeles Clippers into the longer term, Doc Rivers returns to Southern California on Saturday with an opportunity to match wits towards his former crew.
Rivers has his present crew, the Milwaukee Bucks, on a 5 game-winning streak upfront of a matchup towards the Clippers at Inglewood, Calif. Going again to Jan. 6, Milwaukee has received eight of its previous 9 video games.
After a highway recreation towards the New Orleans Pelicans was postponed Wednesday due to climate circumstances, Milwaukee returned house to earn a 125-96 victory over the Miami Warmth on Thursday.
Damian Lillard scored 29 factors and handed out 11 assists. He appeared to select up his tenth rebound late within the recreation for his fourth profession triple-double earlier than it was nixed on a late scoring change that credited Brook Lopez with the rebound as a substitute.
Due to journey points getting out of New Orleans, the Bucks solely arrived in Milwaukee three hours earlier than tipoff towards the Warmth.
“It is a skilled win,” Rivers mentioned. “Earlier than the sport, I received to say, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Dame actually talked it up. Like, ‘Guys, no excuses. We’re at house. We’re right here to win the sport. The sport’s being performed.'”
Antetokounmpo scored 25 factors and grabbed 12 rebounds for his twelfth consecutive double-double since getting back from a four-game absence brought on by again spasms and an sickness.
Rivers was the Clippers’ head coach from 2013-20, and whereas the crew made the playoffs six occasions, he was fired after a flameout within the 2020 Western Convention semifinals inside the playoff bubble in Florida.
Rivers’ substitute, Tyronn Lue, received the crew into the Western Convention finals in 2021, however current seasons have been derailed by Kawhi Leonard’s damage points.
A significant change that Rivers will see is the Clippers’ new $2 billion enviornment that opened this season.
With out Leonard to begin the season, the Clippers misplaced their first 4 video games of their new house however are 16-4 in Inglewood since. The newest house victory got here in a 110-93 determination towards the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
In his sixth recreation of the season, Leonard amassed 15 factors and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes because the crew continues to take its time rising the star’s court docket time.
James Harden put up 17 factors, 12 rebounds and 13 assists for Los Angeles. His 79th profession triple-double moved him previous Wilt Chamberlain and into eighth place on the NBA’s all-time record.
Norman Powell added 22 factors whereas Ivica Zubac had 11 factors and 9 rebounds on Thursday. A day earlier, when the Clippers took the visiting Boston Celtics to time beyond regulation earlier than dropping, Leonard (relaxation), Harden (groin), Powell (again) and Zubac (eye) all have been out.
When evaluating the back-to-back video games, Lue discovered extra to love within the loss.
“Not an excellent recreation for us (towards the Wizards), only a win,” Lue mentioned. “We did not play significantly properly. We did not execute with the basketball. We did some good issues as properly, but it surely wasn’t considered one of our greatest video games. (Wednesday), I assumed we performed higher.
“We’ll take it, however we received to begin stacking wins. We received to begin executing the precise manner and I do not assume we did an excellent job of that (Thursday).”
–Subject Degree Media