The number of healthy contributors available to play has always been among the most important statistics in the NBA — see: last season’s playoffs — but Wednesday in Sacramento underscored why it has become the dominant metric of the moment.
In a matchup that was remarkably no outlier as COVID-19 outbreaks sweep across the league, forcing postponements and dozens of emergency signings to pad out ravaged rosters, Sacramento was without seven players because of health and safety protocols and the Clippers were down four usual members of their rotation, with two in protocols, as well.
The latest absences belonged to starting guard Reggie Jackson (protocols) and guard Luke Kennard (hip), who had made 52% of his three-pointers in December, the kind of void that is extremely difficult to fill by the league’s 25th-rated offense.
But the Clippers held more than a slight health advantage. Two days removed from a double-digit loss that left them questioning what one starter termed an “embarrassing” level of play, their short-handed roster belied what they did have — the kind of energy and physicality that players said was so noticeably lacking Monday.
The key to it all in a 105-89 victory that ended a three-game losing streak was a lineup of reserves, suddenly pressed into service, who had been together so rarely they could have used name tags.
A unit including rookie wing Keon Johnson — who joined the team only hours before tipoff, along with Jay Scrubb, to bolster a depleted backcourt — and little-used reserves center Serge Ibaka and forward Amir Coffey grew the Clippers’ lead in the first half and stabilized a game that had gone sideways during the early minutes of the fourth quarter, after the Clippers’ 19-point lead had been sliced to six.
“Our young guys came in and picked our defense up,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Just gave us some energy.”
Starting in place of Jackson, Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Clippers (17-15) outscored the Kings (13-20) by 20 in his 36 minutes, his highest plus-minus this season.
Behind 17 points from Ibaka and eight each from Brandon Boston Jr. and Coffey, the Clippers’ bench outscored Sacramento’s by 24. Paul George scored 17 points and passed Chauncey Billups for 18th on the all-time three-pointers list.
Johnson called it a “crazy day,” having woken up in Las Vegas expecting to play in the G League showcase.
As tipoff approached, Lue didn’t sense Monday’s result was still eating at his roster. Jackson’s entry into protocols and Kennard’s void had left them too much to worry about. Lue said he felt Monday’s loss wasn’t a product of poor effort, but he did sense a different verve.
“I thought it started with our defense,” Lue said.
The 38 points were the second fewest given up by the Clippers in a half this season, even though Dan Craig, the team’s associate head coach and the architect of its defense, missed his fifth consecutive game while recovering from knee surgery.
Only six minutes into the third quarter, a layup by Bledsoe extended the lead to 19, a gap created not by their superb shooting — they made three of their first 16 three-pointers — nor their communication — it was their eighth different starting lineup in 11 games — but by the kind of energy that was missing so visibly Monday.
One of the few Kings still available who could get his own shot, Buddy Hield, missed his first nine.
The reserve lineup was back together to start what became critical minutes to begin the fourth quarter after Sacramento awoke to trail by six after an 11-0 run. Johnson’s no-look bounce pass had found a cutting Boston for a dunk, Ibaka had made a three-pointer and Coffey’s deflection had broken up a Kings transition opportunity with the Clippers hanging onto an eight-point lead with six minutes to play.
By the time George checked back in with six minutes to play, and Ibaka dunked on the first possession, the Clippers led by 10 and their 29 fast-break points set a season high.
Jackson told Lue he felt fine and hadn’t shown COVID-19 symptoms, Lue said before tipoff. Jackson had yet to miss a game in his 11th season but had been laboring for more than a week since being kneed in a thigh, and Lue said he was glad his guard could get a rest even while acknowledging that no one wanted it to happen under such circumstances.
With George missing time because of a sprained elbow ligament and Jackson’s shooting accuracy dipping, the most dependable offensive weapon this month had been Kennard, whose 52.8% three-point shooting in December was sixth best in the NBA among players with at least 20 attempts.
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