Oklahoma City will be without one of their biggest offensive weapons on Sunday night when they host the Clippers.
Just prior to tip-off, it was announced that Danilo Gallinari is out of the starting lineup and questionable to play against Los Angeles.
Per Erik Horne of The Athletic, Gallinari experienced soreness in his left ankle during pregame, causing him to be scratched from the starting lineup.
Darius Bazley was announced as Galliari’s replacement in the Thunder’s starting five.
Gallinari is averaging 18.0 points per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. He’s also hitting on 39.5% of his three-point attempts.
If Gallinari does not play on Sunday, where his loss could be felt the most is at the free-throw line. Gallo is one of the best in the NBA, making 90.3% of his attempts at the charity stripe. The Thunder’s loss to the Clippers in November was by just two points, and a free throw here or there could end up making a difference in the outcome.
By comparison, Bazley is averaging just 3.8 points while shooting 36.2% from the field, playing just 16.4 minutes per game.
Sunday’s start against the Clippers is only the second of Bazley’s career.
