Clippers lose second straight as Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell sit

INDIANAPOLIS -- Missing two of your four best players is never ideal, but the Clippers mantra over the past 5 years has been “next man up.” But, there comes a time when the injuries become insurmountable for a team that has a slim margin for error already. 

The Indiana Pacers swept the Clippers on the season with a 129-11 blowout on Sunday. 

Outside of James Harden and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers just could not give any supplemental help on the offensive end. 

Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Amir Coffey and Bogdan Bogdanovic shot 2-22 from beyond the arc. That is never going to compete against an Indiana Pacers team that ranks amongst the top teams in the league in offense. 

Harden’s 31 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds kept the Clippers within reach at times in the second half, and Ivica Zubac’s 22 points and 6 rebounds were enough to hang around in the first half. 

But the roster around those two just has to perform better. It seems like the Clippers just cannot establish any sort of rhythm with their new additions and constantly evolving rotation. 

Kawhi Leonard was ruled out with foot soreness after he jammed it against the Bucks and Norman Powell has had lingering knee soreness going back to the All-Star break. Without Powell’s offensive punch and Leoanrd’s methodical isolation scoring, the Clippers are heavily reliant on being perfect if they want to win games. 

The defense just has not been on a string, the offense looks jagged and the turnovers have been racking up lately. 

There just seems to be something that is off with the Clippers since the trade deadline, and with many teams in the West soaring and playing high quality basketball, this is probably one of the worst times to have these lulls. 

Sure, it is late February and there is still over a month left in the regular season, but the Western Conference is unforgiving. 

Any slip of play over an extended period can cost teams a playoff spot or a favorable first round matchup. 

If the two injuries to both Leonard and Powell are truly day-to-day as head coach Tyronn Lue mentioned, then there is not too much cause for concern. But even with those two in the lineup, it has been a rocky past couple of weeks for the Clippers. 

Now, the Clippers will be on a back-to-back against the upstart Pistons. Tipoff is set for 4:00 PM PST on Monday in Detroit.