After a pair of one-sided losses, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue knew what his team needed. It needed guard Kris Dunn in the starting lineup to establish a defensive mindset, and forward John Collins coming off the bench for much more.
On Sunday night, Lue made the switch, and it resulted in Collins scoring 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and providing a spark for the second unit in a 138-109 road win against the Sacramento Kings. He had started the previous nine games but embraced the latest role change.
“I just find myself being versatile and being able to do wonderful things, being able to go play multiple positions,” Collins said during an on-court interview.
With both of the team’s backup centers on the injury list, the 6-foot-9 Collins has been viewed as a backup to Brook Lopez. In the starting lineup together, the duo gives the Clippers a formidable frontcourt.
With the second unit, Collins gives the Clippers a scoring threat that has been missing for much of the season, especially with center Isaiah Jackson out with a high ankle sprain. Collins is averaging 13.7 points while shooting 42.3% from behind the arc and plays with the energy the team needs when the starters sit.
Lue said Collins’ play off the bench helps space the floor and results in rolls to the basket.
“He’s been great,” Lue said. “A large part of our success is him when he started playing well, got him to the starting lineup, he started making shots, getting offensive rebounds around the basket. He was really good for us.
“So, this wasn’t by any means a demotion. This is just more like what fits best for our team right now with so many injuries. And tonight, JC was really good.”
Lue most likely will continue to use his revamped lineup as the Clippers focus on closing out the regular season.
The victory against the Kings snapped a two-game skid and moved the Clippers (40-38) back into eighth place in the Western Conference as they jockey with Portland for the better Play-In Tournament spot. But the road to securing the No. 8 seed isn’t without its challenges.
The Clippers (40-38) face NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks (25-53) on Tuesday in the first game of a back-to-back at the Intuit Dome followed by a matchup against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) on Wednesday.
The Clippers then travel to Portland on Friday night for a critical showdown with the Trail Blazers.
Portland (40-39) blew a second-half lead and lost to Denver in overtime on Monday, to fall a half-game behind the Clippers. The Blazers play at San Antonio (59-19) on Wednesday before Friday’s game, when the Clippers could secure the head-to-head tiebreaker via a 3-1 season series win and improve their odds of being the No. 8 seed for the Play-In Tournament. The No. 8 seed gets two chances to win one game and earn a spot in a first-round playoff series (as either the No. 7 or 8 seed), while the ninth seed must win two games to be the No. 8 seed.
“I think you got to take one game at a time. We can’t look ahead,” Lue said. “We got to think about our next opponent, Dallas.”
MAVERICKS AT CLIPPERS
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: FDSN SoCal/1150 AM
