PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute didn’t return after leaving Monday’s game late in the first half with a lacerated left eyelid on an inadvertent hand to the face.
Head coach Doc Rivers he immediately after the win against the Nets he didn’t expect to have Mbah a Moute on Wednesday against the Thunder. Mbah a Moute, who immediately ran to the locker room after the injury, will see a doctor Tuesday and continue to be reevaluated in the coming days.
“What was big tonight was we lost Luc,” Chris Paul said after the win against the Nets. “People see Luc and look at the box score and don’t really see how valuable he is to our team. We really need him.”
The Clippers are 31-12 since inserting Mbah a Moute into the starting lineup, and their defense has picked up since the move. In the last 15 games, the Clippers own the NBA’s best defensive rating, allowing just 96.8 points per 100 possessions.
Had Mbah a Moute played Wednesday, he likely would’ve drawn the primary defensive assignment on Kevin Durant.
“Luc usually has the toughest assignment every night,” Paul said. “Defending guys, I say it all the time, he does all the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, whether it’s digging or helping or rebounding. I’m going to check on him when we get out of here and hope he’s OK.”
J.J. Redick added that Mbah a Moute’s played a key role in the Clippers’ defensive resurgence, especially early in the first half, early in the second half and late in games.
“Individually at that three/four position, he’s our best defender,” Redick said. “So we’ll miss that, but I’m confident in our team’s ability to defend.”
