Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – Head coach Doc Rivers said before Monday’s matchup against the Rockets he didn’t think DeAndre Jordan could get out of the hospital with pneumonia and play 40 minutes in his first game back.
Instead, Jordan played 41.
Rivers said he was going to use the eye test to see how his center looked after a two-game absence, and Jordan fought through any after-effects of the illness in a game the Clippers needed him beyond the normal 48 minutes.
“He did a little bit of running this morning, but not enough for me to see anything,” Rivers said. “The thing is, he’s an energy player, so what I’m going to have to judge is, does he have any energy? And if he does, he’ll keep playing.”
Clearly, Jordan passed Rivers’ eye test in an overtime matchup with the Rockets, though there were times, particularly early on, where Jordan admittedly was winded.
“Once I kind of got my second wind, I was cool,” Jordan said. “I felt better after the first quarter.”
Less than a week ago, the Clippers’ center was in the hospital. Days later, he’d be playing 40-plus minutes in a victory.
It was going to take something serious for Jordan, who had held the active NBA-leading streak consecutive games played streak, to sit out.
In 2011, the last time he had missed a game, it was pneumonia. Four years and 360 consecutive games later, pneumonia would again be the cause of Jordan’s next absence.
The Clippers persevered against the Heat without him before falling to DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings, snapping a 10-game winning streak Jordan played a major role in. Including Monday night, Jordan’s now recorded a double-double in each of his last nine games.
Jordan didn’t want to miss any games at all, even with the illness, telling teammates and coaches he’d do whatever he could to be there against Miami.
But in the hospital with a fever and all the side effects that typically come with pneumonia, he knew it wasn’t going to be possible.
“I was trying,” Jordan said. “I was going to try to be there, but it was tough. I couldn’t stand up, so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to play.”
Just like in 2011, Jordan would only miss two games. The Clippers’ center fought back a cough during and after the game Monday, but he said he felt much better and good enough to play.
His attempt to regain the “Iron Man” title, which now belongs to Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson, begins again at one.
