Clippers’ Nicolas Batum reconvenes basketball activities

A photograph of a solitary hoops hoop gave the Clippers’ instrumentality basal — already successful bully spirits pursuing the erstwhile night’s 119-115 triumph implicit the Lakers — an other jolt of optimism Saturday.

That’s due to the fact that Nicolas Batum tweeted the photo, which depicted 1 of the signifier baskets astatine the Clippers’ grooming installation successful Playa Vista, with the caption: “Day 1… bully to spot you again.”

Batum has been distant from the his Clippers teammates — each of whom were vaccinated earlier the season, Coach Tyronn Lue said — successful COVID-19 wellness and information protocols since Nov. 21. He was a precocious scratch that time earlier the Clippers hosted Dallas successful an aboriginal game, archetypal due to the fact that of “illness,” a favoritism that was updated soon thereafter.

On Wednesday, erstwhile the Clippers mislaid to the Kings 124-115, some Lue and halfway Ivica Zubac indicated that Batum was feeling better.

Including that loss, the Clippers were 3-4 during Batum’s lack entering Saturday’s rematch successful Sacramento, and not astir arsenic bully defensively for astir of his clip away. They had the NBA’s second-best antiaircraft standing (102.1) earlier helium began what helium called his “COVID quarantine” connected Twitter, and a 112.6 antiaircraft standing after, 21st successful the league.

For that crushed — and due to the fact that of they similar the guy, surely — the Clippers are anxious for him to return.

“But it was bully seeing him backmost successful the building, I’ll archer you that,” Lue said, via Zoom, earlier tipoff Saturday. “It’s getting close. We decidedly request him.”

Day 1…good to spot you again pic.twitter.com/co5cR7oNay

— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) December 4, 2021

COVID quarantine acceptable up 🏀🏀🏀 pic.twitter.com/hcvIbgItu9

— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) November 26, 2021

STAYING BIG

Lue reiterated that the Clippers’ two-big starting lineup — anchored by 7-foot Ivica Zubac and halfway and 6-10 Serge Ibaka astatine powerfulness guardant — isn’t present to stay, that it’ll beryllium situational, and yet …

The lineup played different encore Saturday against a Sacramento squad that was starting 6-foot-10 Richaun Holmes and 6-9 erstwhile USC standout Chimezie Metu.

“Still trying to fig it out,” said Lue astir his determination to brace the 2 large men a 3rd time. “I deliberation it helps america with our rebounding. I deliberation with Serge and Zu down there, 2 guys who are large astatine blocking shots and verticality astatine the rim, but it is different.

“It’ll beryllium antithetic connected a nighttime to nighttime basis; if teams commencement a tiny 4 past it’d beryllium pugnacious to enactment Serge retired determination astatine the four. With this squad starting the mode they’re starting contiguous past we tin effort to bash it again contiguous and get distant with it.

“But they’ve done immoderate bully things (and) whoever’s playing the champion retired of Serge and Zu those archetypal six minutes, we’ll get the different feline retired and … bring successful a four. Like I said, conscionable mixing and matching, conscionable trying to find the close combinations.”

It proved the close determination Friday, erstwhile the Clippers outscored the Lakers by 9 points successful the 18.4 minutes the starters — Zubac, Ibaka and Paul George, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. — were connected the floor.

“We needed to play big,” said George aft helium contributed a team-high 8 rebounds, on with 19 points, 9 assists and 2 steals to the triumph (in which the Clippers inactive were outrebounded, 43-34 — though Lue’s squad mislaid the conflict connected the boards conscionable 13-11 successful the archetypal quarter).

“This team, our Achilles bottommost is rebounding … truthful coming into contiguous we needed to play big, benignant of antagonistic what they person retired determination with Dwight (Howard) and Anthony Davis, Bron (LeBron James). So that was conscionable the accent to play big, travel retired and lucifer up against them. And it paid off.”