The Los Angeles Clippers didn’t just close out the calendar year; they slammed the door shut.
In a season defined by early struggles and questions about roster construction, the Clippers delivered their most emphatic statement yet on Tuesday night, dismantling their Pacific Division rivals, the Sacramento Kings,
131-90 at the Intuit Dome. The victory extended Los Angeles’ winning streak to a season-high five games—a run that has coincided perfectly, and perhaps confusingly, with the absence of starting center Ivica Zubac.
Led by Kawhi Leonard’s clinical 33-point performance, the Clippers looked nothing like the disjointed squad that stumbled through November. Instead
they appeared faster, more versatile, and surprisingly dangerous without their traditional anchor in the middle.
When Zubac went down with an ankle injury against the Lakers on December 20, the mood in Inglewood was somber.
The Croatian big man has been a stabilizing force for a team often in flux. Yet, the on-court product since his exit has been undeniable:
the Clippers are 5-0, winning by an average margin that suggests a team finally finding its identity.
Without Zubac clogging the lane, the Clippers have leaned into a devastating small-ball aesthetic.
The spacing has opened up driving lanes for James Harden (21 points) and allowed Leonard to operate with surgical