The Golden State Warriors’ defense collapsed on Clippers center Ivica Zubac late in a tense game Sunday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, but he didn’t panic. Zubac calmly passed out of a double team in the post to Norman Powell, who drilled a 20-foot jumper for a five-point Clippers lead with 3 minutes 1 one second left in the game.
A few moments later in that fourth quarter, Zubac set a screen for James Harden. Once he got the pass from Harden by sliding away from a defender, Zubac faked a pass one way and rambled in for a dunk and a five-point lead again with 2:21 left.
Zubac capped his stellar night by throwing down a dunk off a pass from Kris Dunn that sealed the deal for the Clippers with 42.2 seconds left, giving his team a seven-point lead.
Right before all of their eyes, the Clippers are seeing a more composed Zubac, a more developed and complete player that they can rely on more than ever.
“The game is slowing down for me,” Zubac said Sunday night after posting 23 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. “I’m a lot more confident.”
This is Zubac’s ninth year in the NBA and the growth of the 7-footer has been steady.
It has been only three games, but Zubac is averaging career highs in points (22.7), rebounds (14), assists (4.3) and minutes (36.7) per game.
The Clippers will need every bit of what Zubac can offer them to have a successful season.
“That’s part of it, the game is slowing down,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said about Zubac. “I think playing through him a little bit more and I think him and James have the good connection. I think James makes a lot of bigs really good over his career. So, just those two guys being on the same page as well.”
Lue said they have gained confidence in using Zubac more in the offense by playing “through him more, giving him more touches.” He has responded by playing his best basketball early in the season. His 14 rebounds per game lead the NBA.
“Yeah, he’s been really good,” Lue said after practice Monday. “I think just coming in, letting him know that we are going to try to post him more, try to get the ball in his hands more and he’s taking advantage of it. I played him a lot of minutes early on, but we needed it just for his rebounding and his presence on the floor offensively. So, I got to find days like this to give him some rest. But we need him on the floor.”
Injury updates
Lue said Kawhi Leonard, who has been out to start the season because of inflammation in his right knee, and Mo Bamba, who also has been out because of knee soreness, both are strengthening their knees.
There is no timetable for either of their returns for the Clippers, who have home games Wednesday against Portland, Thursday against Phoenix and Saturday against Oklahoma City.
“They are out the next two games. That’s all I know,” Lue said. “I’m just focused on getting our guys ready to play and keep executing and getting better defensively and offensively. Those guys are coming along, putting in the work every day to get better, but they are out the next two games. We have to focus on us.”