By: Justin Gincauskas
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac will miss a minimum of four weeks with a right calf strain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The news was announced Tuesday before the Clippers’ 128-117 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was the second game Zubac has missed with the calf strain, as he was also out for Sunday’s 109-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Zubac last played on Jan. 12, when he had six points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in Los Angeles’ 128-119 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. He has started in all 38 games he has played this season.
Zubac is having a career year with the Clippers, averaging 12.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. His 65.5 field goal percentage is the fifth-best in the league.
Zubac, 26, was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent parts of three seasons with the Lakers before the team traded him to the Clippers in 2019. His availability has been a significant asset for the Clippers since trading for him. In his four full seasons with the team, Zubac has played in no fewer than 72 games in a season.
With Zubac out for at least the next four weeks, the team will turn to Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis. Theis got the start in Sunday’s loss against the Timberwolves, and he had three points and four rebounds. On Tuesday, it was Plumlee stepping up into the starting role, contributing 14 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in 28 minutes.
The Clippers will look to continue their winning ways while Zubac recovers from the calf strain. Los Angeles currently sits fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 26-14. The team is 8-2 in its last 10 games and 17-4 at home this season.
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