Kobe Sanders gets the start for the Los Angeles Clippers tonight when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Intuit Dome (7:30 p.m. PT). Rui Hachimura is out with left quad soreness. Head coach Tyronn Lue announced the move after Tuesday’s practice: Sanders will start in Hachimura’s place. It is the second meeting between the two Los Angeles teams in six days. The Clippers (1-2) are coming off two days of rest, and the Lakers (3-1) are playing for the second straight night.
Why Hachimura is out
Hachimura reported the quad soreness after Sunday’s 108-101 loss in Oklahoma City and did not practice Tuesday. Joey Linn of SI.com reported that he will miss tonight’s game, and that his next chance to play is Friday at Minnesota. He is considered day-to-day, and the team has not given a return date.
Missing this game stings for him in particular. Hachimura joined the Clippers from the Lakers, and in the first meeting on Oct. 23 he had 16 points and 6 rebounds, going 3 for 6 from three. In an interview published Monday by Tomer Azarly, he described his job on a short-handed roster. “For me, right now with the Clippers’ situation, I’ve got to be the guy to be aggressive,” Hachimura said.
His shooting through three games has been uneven:
- Vs. Sacramento: 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting, 8 rebounds.
- At the Lakers: 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting, 3 of 6 from three.
- At Oklahoma City: 5 points on 2-of-11 shooting.
That adds up to 10 of 38 from the field (26.3 percent), but he was still a primary option. The Clippers lose a forward who takes shots whether or not they are falling, and those possessions now have to go somewhere else.
What Kobe Sanders has done off the bench
Sanders has played between 19 and 20 minutes in each of the Clippers’ first three games. His individual numbers are modest, but the team has played well with him on the floor, according to ESPN box scores:
- Vs. Sacramento (121-96 win): 2 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, plus-14 in 19 minutes.
- At the Lakers (125-117 loss): 5 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, plus-10 in 19 minutes.
- At Oklahoma City (108-101 loss): 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 2 of 5 from three, 4 rebounds, plus-11 in 20 minutes.
That is plus-35 in 58 minutes. The Clippers were plus-10 overall across those three games, so they have been outscored when he sits. Three games of plus-minus are not proof of individual impact, and lineup context matters. Still, the pattern is consistent: in both losses, Sanders’ minutes were among the best stretches the Clippers had.
He has started before. According to Lakers Daily, Sanders made 16 starts in 68 appearances as a rookie. He also played through a hip impingement during the preseason, so his minutes load is worth watching in a bigger role.
The ripple effect on the bench
Moving Sanders into the starting lineup thins out a second unit that has been one of the Clippers’ few steady strengths. Gradey Dick is the most obvious candidate for more minutes. He scored 12 points against Sacramento and was plus-10 against the Lakers and plus-11 at Oklahoma City in limited minutes. Keaton Wagler (15, 13 and 11 points in the first three games) is the other bench scorer, and he has gotten to the line in all three games, going 17 of 19.
Lue has not announced a full lineup beyond Sanders. Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Isaiah Jackson started every game alongside Hachimura, but tonight’s lineup will not be official until close to tip-off.
The Luka Doncic problem, and the turnover clue
In the first meeting, the Clippers did make Doncic work. He scored 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting and committed 11 of the Lakers’ 21 turnovers, according to the ESPN box score. The Lakers still won because Austin Reaves (28 points on 10-of-13 shooting) and Walker Kessler (22 points, 6 blocks) did the damage instead, and because the Lakers outscored the Clippers 58-48 in the paint.
Doncic has scored at least 41 in both games since, so the Clippers cannot count on a repeat. Their best path is the same one from Oct. 23: pressure the ball, force Doncic to give it up, and make sure Reaves and Kessler do not get easy looks behind it. With Hachimura out, Sanders, Dunn and Jones will handle more of the perimeter defense.
Rest vs. a back-to-back
The schedule favors the Clippers tonight. They last played Sunday. The Lakers lost at home to Portland on Tuesday night and then travel across town. Kessler was asked about the quick turnaround, and Infanity TV’s postgame clip carries his answer: “I’m glad we play tomorrow.” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said his team has to “figure out how to beat them” on short rest.
That is the opening for a Clippers team that needs to slow the game down and make the Lakers’ legs matter late.
Injury report
The Clippers’ official injury report as of 8 a.m. PT Wednesday lists six players out:
- Bradley Beal: right knee injury management.
- Rui Hachimura: left quad soreness.
- Brandon Ingram: right heel surgery.
- Jordan Miller: left rotator cuff surgery.
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser: right Lisfranc surgery.
- Max Strus: right plantar fascia tear.
The Lakers had not submitted their report at that time. Their previous report listed Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero out, and Carr practiced with the Coachella Valley Lakers of the G League on Tuesday.
What’s next
The Clippers have a busy stretch ahead:
- Friday, Oct. 30: at Minnesota, 5 p.m. PT, an NBA Cup game and Hachimura’s next chance to return.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: at Golden State, 5:30 p.m. PST.
- Monday, Nov. 2: vs. Toronto, 7 p.m. PST.
CBS Sports reported that Kawhi Leonard, now with the Raptors, has left knee swelling and will be reevaluated in a week, so he is expected to miss his return to Intuit Dome.
Notes and conflicts
The official report lists Ingram’s issue as “right heel surgery,” while some secondary outlets describe an Achilles injury. We used the official designation. Niederhauser’s listing, “right Lisfranc surgery,” is more specific than earlier reports that described a foot injury. The figure of 16 rookie starts comes from a single outlet and has not been checked against official records. Lakers Daily listed tip-off as 7:30 p.m. PST. Daylight saving time is still in effect, so it is 7:30 p.m. PDT. Kessler’s and Redick’s quotes come from short clips and were not checked against a full transcript. Starting lineups beyond Sanders are unofficial.
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