Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Double-doubles in playoff exit
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Zubac produced 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-8 FT), 11 rebounds and one assist in 37 minutes during Friday's 114-101 loss to the Mavericks in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Clippers needed someone to step up with Kawhi Leonard (knee) sidelined in Game 6, and Ivica Zubac did what he could on both ends of the court. He finished the series with three double-doubles in six outings and scored in double digits each time while shooting a robust 60 percent from the field. Zubac isn't flashy and is not one of the most athletic big men in the league, but he gets the job done. He averaged 11.7 points and 9.2 boards per contest during the regular season.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Flirts with double-double
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Zubac chipped in 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 32 minutes during Friday's 101-90 loss to the Mavericks in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Zubac turned in a strong effort Friday, flirting with a double-double. He added a pair of defensive stats for good measure, delivering his best performance of the postseason. Now trailing 1-2 in the series, the Clippers are going to need Zubac to be more consistent moving forward, something he has struggled with this season.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Owns glass in double-double showing
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Zubac logged 20 points (10-17 FG, 0-1 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Sunday's 109-97 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Zubac led all players in rebounds while ending as one of three Clippers with 20 or more points in a double-double showcase. Zubac posted four games during the regular season with 15 or more rebounds, adding 20 or more points in one of those outings. Los Angeles will look for Zubac to continue to own the battle in the paint this series while also providing a much-needed spark offensively in a favorable matchup against Dallas.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Healthy but not starting
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Zubac is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Houston.
Precedent indicates that Zubac is in line to log his second DNP-CD across the Clippers' past three contests, as the team is locked into the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Zubac is officially active, but Mason Plumlee will start.
Zubac didn't play in Wednesday's 124-108 loss to the Suns on Wednesday after being listed as available for the contest.
Shortly before tipoff, the Clippers were officially locked into the Western Conference's fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs. With most of their starting lineup out with injury, Zubac also got the night off after dealing with left ankle inflammation heading into Wednesday's contest. Instead, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis handled the majority of the center work. The Clippers have two games left in the regular season -- the first of which comes Friday against the Jazz -- and it's unclear how much, if at all, Zubac will play in those contests given the ankle issue and the team's locked-in playoff slot.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Not on court pregame
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Zubac is not on the court during pre-game introductions for Wednesday's game against Phoenix, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
Zubac was deemed available for the contest after being listed as questionable with an ankle injury. However, after not being listed in the starting lineup, Zubac isn't on the court during pre-game activities and could end up being inactive Wednesday, though nothing's been made official yet.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Coming off bench
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Zubac will not start Wednesday's game against the Suns, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Zubac has been dealing with inflammation in his left ankle ahead of Wednesday's game and will likely have his minutes monitored. He will be replaced by Mason Plumlee in the first unit.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Set to play against Phoenix
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Zubac (ankle) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Suns.
Zubac has been upgraded from questionable to available Wednesday despite dealing with left ankle inflammation. The 26-year-old big man has been one of the most efficient players in the league, shooting 64.7 percent from the field this season.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Questionable for Wednesday
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Zubac is questionable for Wednesday's game against Phoenix due to left ankle inflammation, Shane Young of Forbes.com reports.
Zubac has posted double-doubles in six consecutive appearances, averaging 15.2 points and 12.0 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game. He hasn't missed a game since the beginning of March, but it's unclear whether he'll be available in the second half of a back-to-back set. If he sits out, Daniel Theis, Mason Plumlee and P.J. Tucker could see additional minutes.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Posts double-double in 24 minutes
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Zubac supplied 12 points (5-6 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal in 24 minutes during Friday's 131-102 victory over Utah.
Zubac sat for the entire fourth quarter, but he still managed to break the double-double barrier before giving way to Daniel Theis. Zubac was one of eight players to score in double figures, and one should expect the big man to log a full game Sunday against a dominant Cleveland frontcourt.
Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Records 14/15 double-double
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Zubac provided 14 points (4-11 FG, 6-6 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 35 minutes during Thursday's 102-100 victory over Denver.
Zubac had success off the glass despite Nikola Jokic's dominant presence in the paint. The center went toe-to-toe with Jokic in the fourth quarter with answers for every Jokic-led rally, scoring eight of his 14 points in the final stanza. Zubac logged his third consecutive double-double in the victory.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Hits season-high scoring mark
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Zubac logged 24 points (7-8 FG, 10-10 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 33 minutes during Sunday's 130-118 win over the Hornets.
Zubac was nearly perfect from the field Sunday, missing just one shot from the field en route to delivering a season-high scoring mark. As if that was not enough, the big man also delivered just his second double-double since the beginning of March. Even though he hasn't been the most consistent producer in recent weeks, Zubac remains a steady source for points, rebounds and blocks. He's averaged 11.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest over his last 10 outings.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Comes close to double-double
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Zubac closed with 14 points (7-10 FG), nine rebounds, two assists and one block over 35 minutes during Friday's 100-97 win over the Magic.
Zubac finished just one rebound shy of recording a double-double, and even though his two-way ability is well known, he's achieved that feat just once during the current month. Zubac is averaging 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in March.
Zubac chipped in 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in 29 minutes during Sunday's 121-107 loss to Philadelphia.
Zubac recorded his first double-double since Feb. 23, but the big man had been close to achieving that feat in his previous appearances. A solid two-way contributor who can produce value despite holding a lesser role in the Clippers' offensive scheme, Zubac is averaging 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest since the beginning of March.
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Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Emerges with near double-double
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Zubac posted 14 points (7-9 FG), nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and four steals in 24 minutes during Wednesday's 116-103 victory over Portland.
Zubac came into the contest in an offensive rut, having failed to notch double-digit points in each of his past three games. The big man was averaging just 2.3 field-goal attempts over 29.0 minutes during that span, so the issue was more a matter of shot volume than efficiency. Zubac has never been a big scorer, but he went through a period of posting double-digit points 13 times in a 15-game span earlier in the campaign, so he's certainly capable of contributing in that regard. His 14 points Wednesday was his third-highest total over 10 contests since returning from a two-game absence March 3.
Zubac amassed 18 points (9-11 FG), six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 26 minutes during Sunday's 124-117 loss to Milwaukee.
With Kawhi Leonard (groin) and Paul George (knee) sidelined, Zubac was the second-leading scorer for the Clippers on Sunday. Zubac entered the contest with the third-highest field-goal percentage in the NBA at 65.1 percent behind Daniel Gafford and Jakob Poeltl. Despite not being a main offensive option, Zubac is averaging a career-high 11.7 points per game to go along with 9.2 rebounds this season.
