Clippers’ Serge Ibaka returns to action against Charlotte

LOS ANGELES — Before tipoff Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue wasn’t anxious to stock however galore minutes Serge Ibaka was allowed to play successful his instrumentality to enactment travel backmost country connected June 10, oregon however helium expected the seasoned halfway could acceptable into the rotation.

One happening went without saying, though: Lue’s seat got decidedly little interesting, fashion-wise — the trade-off for the added frontcourt depth.

Who could hide Ibaka’s show-stopping ankle-length gown, vie with low-top Dior sneakers, Thom Browne bag, achromatic Prada bucket chapeau and colorful silk scarf that helium multi-purposed into a look covering past play astatine an April triumph implicit the Lakers?

Ibaka spent overmuch of his archetypal with the Clippers making specified bold statements connected the seat due to the fact that helium was sidelined by backmost pain. The 6-foot-10 halfway from the Republic of Congo played 41 games, averaging 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds and shooting 51% from the field.

He was constricted overmuch of the play with “back tightness” earlier returning for the last 2 regular-season games, aft the archetypal of which helium said he’d been dealing with a pinched nerve.

In the postseason, Ibaka played 12 minutes, 47 seconds successful Game 1 of the Clippers’ first-round bid against the Dallas Mavericks and past conscionable 5:35 successful Game 2 earlier being ruled retired with backmost spasms, ending his season.

So successful July — without a 2nd thought, helium said — helium opted successful for the $9.7 cardinal 2nd twelvemonth of his woody with the team.

“I’m the benignant of person, I don’t springiness up,” Ibaka, 32, said astatine media time earlier the play began. “I consciousness similar I person unfinished concern here, and I privation to amusement the Clippers fans what Serge Ibaka was looking for, what they privation to see. I consciousness similar I didn’t springiness that past year. I didn’t springiness them that past year. I was like, you cognize what, I person to decorativeness the job.”

He clocked successful again Sunday successful the Clippers’ ninth crippled of the season, joining the team’s 7-footers Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein arsenic disposable centers.

Lue said helium expected Ibaka — a three-time prime for the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team and a teammate of Kawhi Leonard’s connected the Toronto Raptors’ title-winning squad successful 2019 — to assistance boost the Clippers’ on-court volume. Not successful presumption of shots, but literally.

“His beingness defensively successful that 2nd unit, being a feline who’s going to speech and pass since we bash person a quiescent squad by nature, helium does a bully occupation of conscionable communicating, talking successful his coverages and making definite everyone’s successful the close spots,” Lue said earlier extremity disconnected Sunday astatine Staples Center. “And past conscionable effort and spot however his upwind is due to the fact that helium hasn’t played successful a while.”

A portion = 150 days of rehab, including a fewer weeks of full-court five-on-five signifier to assistance Ibaka hole his legs and lungs for the strength of NBA play.

“He’s been doing everything helium could to get backmost and moving hard,” Lue said. “Just making definite his body’s right. He’s a hard idiosyncratic by nature, truthful conscionable trying to bash everything helium could to get backmost truthful present his moment’s travel truthful he’s excited. Team’s excited for him, arsenic well.”