Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said fatigue was likely a factor in Tuesday's 103-96 loss to the Orlando Magic but added that's "no excuse" for blowing a 14-point halftime lead. 

Lue explained the team's shortened rotation because of injuries combined with playing for the second straight night created difficult circumstances:

L.A. was without Paul George, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris Sr. and Rajon Rondo against the Magic, and Lue mentioned they didn't want to push Kawhi Leonard too hard in a back-to-back situation after he played 36 minutes in Monday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Leonard put together another strong performance with 28 points to lead all scorers along with five rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes. Ivica Zubac also continued to make a case for a larger role when the team is back to full strength with 14 points and 13 boards.

The rest of the Clippers combined to shoot just 33.9 percent from the field (20-of-59), and the team also finished with more fouls (21-13) and turnovers (14-8) than the Magic.

"I felt like we got some good shots, got some good looks in that second half that just didn't fall," Leonard told reporters. "But obviously, just being more aggressive, attacking us when we're missing shots, getting out in transition. They kept fighting. They didn't quit."

Tuesday's loss snapped Los Angeles' six-game winning streak and dropped its record to 32-17, which ranks third in the Western Conference.

The Clippers are back in action Thursday night when they host the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. They then have two days off before facing the rival Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. They don't have another two-day break in the schedule until April 24-25, so rest won't be easy to come by.

Orlando (16-31) continues its five-game road trip Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Los Angeles Clippers announced that forward Marcus Morris Sr. is out for their home game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday with a calf contusion, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

The 31-year-old sat on March 25 against the San Antonio Spurs with the same ailment. He has also missed time this season with a concussion and knee injury.

Morris, who has played for the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Clippers during his career, is averaging 12.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season.

He is a key part of the Clippers rotation because of his ability to hit from the outside when defenders collapse on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and he also provides a physical presence inside the lane.

Leonard will continue to carry the offense if Morris is sidelined, especially with George (sore right foot) also missing the Magic game.

Look for the combination of Nicolas Batum, Patrick Patterson and Luke Kennard to see more playing time in the meantime. 

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers will face the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Saturday night for the first time since he was fired last year.

The distance has given the coach a chance to reflect on his seven years in Southern California, and it's hard for him to be too upset with his legacy there.

"My stint with the Clippers, I really believe helped change that franchise," Rivers told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "When you hear that name now, you don't think bad things. You think good things. That was one of my goals, and the other goal was to win a title. So I was 1-for-2."

In 564 games, Rivers went 356-208 with L.A., making him both the winningest coach and the coach with the best winning percentage (.631) in franchise history.

For his part, Rivers seems at peace with how he left Los Angeles—despite the sting left behind from not winning a title. 

"I made a lot of friends there," Rivers said. "I made very few enemies. Hopefully none. ... I don't know if people understand that when you come to Staples Center, the same workers work both games. And so for me, that's what saying hi to all of them walking in today was fantastic."

The Clippers missed the playoffs just once under Rivers (2017-18) after making just four postseason appearances in the previous 20 years.

That the team never made it past the second round with Rivers may have been tough to look past, but it goes to show how much his arrival helped raise the standards around the organization, to say little of how his team became one of the hottest tickets in the league.

With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Lou Williams, Jamal Crawford and DeAndre Jordan, the Dunk City Clippers were must-see basketball.

While that team has long been dismantled, its unquestionably one of the top highlights of the Clips' existence. That doesn't happen without Rivers.

Kawhi Leonard reportedly isn't expected to leave the Los Angeles Clippers despite having the option to become a free agent during the offseason.

According to Tom Haberstroh of TrueHoop.com, a non-Clippers NBA executive believes there is a "less than 1 percent" chance of Leonard leaving the Clippers during the offseason.

Kawhi has a player option for the 2021-22 season that carries a salary of over $36 million, per Spotrac.

While the Clippers haven't enjoyed the elite level of success Leonard undoubtedly hoped for when he signed with them, Haberstroh noted that he receives some perks that could help in convincing him to stay.

Most notably, the Clippers allow Kawhi to commute from his home in San Diego, even if it means he is late for team activities at times.

Given the comfortable situation Leonard finds himself in, Haberstroh reported that "most people" he has spoken to within the NBA don't think Kawhi is going anywhere.

The 29-year-old Leonard signed a three-year contract with the Clips in free agency in 2019 after leading the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever championship at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. That marked Kawhi's second championship and NBA Finals MVP award, as he previously accomplished the feat with the San Antonio Spurs.

In his first season with the Clippers, Leonard appeared in 57 regular-season games and averaged a career-high 27.1 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals.

The Clippers had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 49-23, but they blew a 3-1 series lead and were upset by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.

So far this season, the Clippers are third in the West at 30-16. In 37 games, Kawhi is averaging 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals.

The Clippers have a chance to go the distance and win a championship this season, but they will have to traverse a remarkably deep and talented Western Conference to do so.

The Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns are both up-and-coming teams ahead of the Clippers in the standings, while the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are fourth despite missing Anthony Davis for a long stretch and having LeBron James on the shelf currently as well.

It can be argued that by leaving the Raptors and the Eastern Conference, Leonard made his road to a championship much tougher, which is something he must consider.

If his primary concern is comfort and being close to home, however, no team can offer him a better situation than the Clippers have.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue believes point guard Rajon Rondo was a perfect addition ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Lue, who called Rondo "pretty much my project" while he served as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics from 2011 through 2013, said he'll use what he learned during their previous time together upon their reunion in L.A. after the guard was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks.

"He's fiery, that's what we need," Lue told reporters. "He's tough. He understands the game. And he respects people as a straight shooter and will tell him the truth. That was my biggest thing in Boston, was just being honest with him and telling him the truth and keeping it real with him."

The Clippers traded Lou Williams, a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a pair of future second-round draft picks and cash to the Hawks for Rondo.

Lue, who said he missed Williams' presence off the bench in Thursday's 98-85 win over the San Antonio Spurs, explained he's not sure what role Rondo will fill once the team is back to full strength.

"We've got to get everybody together, get everyone healthy," he said. "Just trying to see what works. It's going to take some time. Just not sure right now."

Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Beverley, Serge Ibaka and Marcus Morris are among the Clippers who have recently missed time because of injuries.

L.A. could start Rondo, utilizing him as a pass-first point guard alongside Leonard and Paul George and then bring Beverley and Reggie Jackson off the bench together for an offensive boost to the second unit, which would help mitigate the departure of Williams.

"We could not be more excited to welcome Rajon to the Clippers," president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. "He is a proven winner, a relentless competitor and one of the most skilled orchestrators of his era. We believe he will elevate our group and continue to propel us forward."

Los Angeles sits third in the Western Conference with a 30-16 record and is amid a four-game winning streak. Its success gives Lue and his staff a little flexibility to tinker with the lineup once everybody is healthy until something clicks.

Rondo, who won his second NBA title with the rival Los Angeles Lakers last season, owns 121 games of postseason experience and should be a valuable asset for the Clippers regardless of his role come playoff time.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will not play in Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs because of right foot soreness, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Leonard already missed time this season with back, mouth and leg injuries. He was also held out for health and safety protocols in January and has sat out one of the legs in back-to-back games throughout his career as a means of load management.

When healthy, the San Diego State product is one of the best players in the league as a two-time champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time All-NBA selection, six-time All-Defensive selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Star who can take over a game on the offensive side and defend the opponent's best player on the other end.

He is averaging 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season.

Paul George is another two-way star who can do many of the same things as Leonard and will be counted on to anchor the attack when Kawhi is sidelined. Look for the combination of Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr. and Terance Mann to see more playing time as well.

Still, the only way the Clippers (29-16, third in the Western Conference) can realistically compete for a title is if Leonard is healthy and on the floor.  

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly exploring a trade for Atlanta Hawks point guard Rajon Rondo.

"I just heard about some talks [about] the Clippers maybe acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Atlanta Hawks," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on First Take.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium confirmed the two sides are in serious talks.

The Clippers were interested in Rondo during the offseason before the veteran guard signed a two-year, $15 million contract in Atlanta. Rondo has largely struggled as a role player in the Hawks rotation, averaging 3.9 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game.

The Clippers have been seeking a lead ball-handler dating back to the offseason without success. Rondo has significant playoff experience and is a steady locker-room voice, but it's unclear whether he's ultimately a helpful NBA player at this point in his career.

While many will point to Rondo's solid play during the Lakers' Finals run last season, those moments came in bursts and were anything but consistent. Rondo shot just 35.1 percent in the Finals against the Miami Heat and was a net-negative player in every game besides Games 2 and 6.

If Rondo is the best the Clippers can do on the trade market before the deadline, then he might be a fine acquisition. That said, it's fair to wonder if they might be better off holding the fort down with the roster they have rather than adding Rondo to the mix. 

The Los Angeles Clippers appear to have interest in Indiana Pacers point guard Aaron Holiday, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who noted the Pacers would consider moving the 24-year-old if a first-round pick is involved in the deal.   

Holiday is averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 assists and 1.2 rebounds through 41 games (six starts) as Indiana continues to tinker with a backcourt that features Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell, Caris LeVert, Jeremy Lamb and Jalen Lecque.

Ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, Scotto noted the Clippers would turn their attention to Holiday if they are unable to land George Hill or Ricky Rubio first. 

Holiday's usage in Indiana has seen a notable dip since head coach Nate Bjorkgren took over for Nate McMillan after the 2019-20 season. 

The No. 23 pick in the 2018 draft, Holiday went from playing 12.9 minutes per game during his rookie season to starting 33 games during his second year in the league as his minutes nearly doubled to 24.5 per night. Yet under Bjorkgren, the guard has seen both his field-goal percentage (37.0 percent) and rebounding (1.2 per game) reach career lows as he plays 18.0 minutes per contest. 

It might be best for both sides to find a way out of their current situation.

In Los Angeles, Holiday would still come off the bench, but under much different circumstances, likely acting more as a depth piece and facilitator for the Western Conference contenders than as a legitimate scoring threat. 

Whether that's worth giving up a first-round pick remains to be seen for the Clippers, but they'll seemingly check on other options first before deciding how to engage with Indiana.