Clippers and Mavericks Meet as Injuries Hit Both Teams Hard

The Los Angeles Clippers will visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night for an NBA Cup game, and both teams enter the match facing major injury problems. The Clippers are trying to stop a six-game losing streak, while the Mavericks are struggling after a 3-9 start, their worst opening in 12 games since 2017-18.

The Clippers travel for a long seven-game road trip without two of their important players. The team confirmed on Wednesday that guard Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the season because of a left hip fracture. This is a big blow, as Beal was expected to be a major scoring option this year.

Forward Kawhi Leonard is traveling with the team but will not play. He will miss his sixth straight game due to a sprained ankle and foot. Without Beal and Leonard, the Clippers have found it very hard to compete, especially on defense.

In their most recent game, the Clippers lost 130-116 to the Denver Nuggets at home. They could not stop Nikola Jokic, who scored an incredible 55 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. James Harden led the Clippers with 23 points, while Jordan Miller had a career-high 22 points and Ivica Zubac added 18.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said the team needs to use the upcoming road trip to recover mentally and find better rhythm. “We hit some rough patches these last six games,” Lue said. “Going out on the road, playing better basketball, getting wins—it starts with Dallas. It won’t be easy.”

Dallas is also dealing with many injuries. In their 123-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, the Mavericks played without Kyrie Irving (knee), Anthony Davis (calf), and Dereck Lively II (knee). These absences have weakened both their offense and defense.

Dallas suffered another setback when P.J. Washington Jr. left the Suns game in the first quarter with a left shoulder strain. He is now listed as day-to-day. Coach Jason Kidd said he was happy with how his team continued to fight despite missing several key players.

Klay Thompson scored a season-high 19 points off the bench for Dallas. Thompson, who joined the Mavericks last season after many successful years with Golden State, said that the team has struggled with injuries ever since he arrived. He said he is looking forward to the day when the whole team is healthy.

Last season, Dallas lost three of four games against the Clippers. Los Angeles is still trying new lineups this month because of the injuries. Young players like Cam Christie, Kobe Brown, Kobe Sanders, and Jordan Miller are getting more playing time.

Coach Lue explained that the staff has confidence in the young players and hopes they can continue improving. He admitted that the team has very little margin for error because of the injuries, but he believes the effort and confidence from the younger players can help the team stay competitive.