The LA Clippers had been one of the best teams in the league since mid-December, but have faltered of late with a couple of losses as injuries have piled up. Kawhi Leonard is currently out due to a left ankle sprain, and now the franchise will be without their Sixth Man in Bennedict Mathurin.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Clippers announced that Mathurin would be out Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to an injury to the big toe on his right foot. Mathurin will not be playing in any of the three games during this Clippers road trip as he undergoes treatment on the injured toe.
Mathurin played 34 minutes off the bench in Monday night's loss against the San Antonio Spurs, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 5-of-12 shooting.
After the game, reporters in the locker room said Mathurin was seen walking a little gingerly.
In addition to Mathurin's three-game absence, the Clippers have listed both Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland as Questionable for Wednesday night's game against the Pelicans, the first game of a back-to-back set in New Orleans for the Clippers.
This stretch will end the second five-in-seven of the month for the Clippers, who also played one to start March.
After climbing up to 34-32 from a 6-21 start to the regular season, the Clippers have now lost two straight games and have to find ways to stay afloat in the ever-competitive Western Conference. As of Wednesday morning, the Clippers will be just one game up on the Golden State Warriors for the eighth seed and just 1.5 games up on the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Clippers currently lead their season series against the Warriors, 2-1, with one remaining, while leading their season series against the Trail Blazers, 2-0, with two more games remaining. In fact, the final two games of the season for the Clippers are against the Blazers on April 10th and against the Warriors on April 12th.
Since arriving in a trade from the Indiana Pacers back in early February, Bennedict Mathurin has been a star in his role as Sixth Man for the Clippers. In his 16 appearances with his new team thus far, Mathurin is averaging 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Clippers while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor.
