Zubac’s Swift Return Looms as Clippers Surge Through Injury Adversity

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The LA Clippers have quietly transformed their season over the past two weeks, stringing together six consecutive victories after managing only six wins across the opening two months of the schedule.

The turnaround has been achieved in far-from-ideal circumstances, with the team navigating the streak while missing key rotation pieces, including their starting center and defensive anchor, Ivica Zubac.

That absence, however, is nearing its end. Zubac is expected to return Saturday night when the Clippers host the Boston Celtics at Intuit Dome, a development that comes much sooner than originally anticipated.

His comeback arrives at a pivotal moment, forcing the Clippers to balance the reintegration of a core starter with the chemistry that has powered their most successful stretch of the season.

1. An Injury That Looked Worse Than It Turned Out

Zubac’s injury occurred in the opening quarter of a Dec. 20 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers, when he rolled his ankle and was forced to exit early. The center was visibly limited as he made his way off the floor, and the team ruled him out for the remainder of the game almost immediately. The following day, the Clippers revealed that he had suffered a Grade 2 sprain in his left ankle, an injury that typically carries a multiweek recovery timetable. Initial projections suggested he would not return until at least Jan. 12 against Charlotte, making his availability this weekend a notably accelerated timeline.

2. Finding a Formula Without Their Anchor

During Zubac’s absence, the Clippers have pieced together their six-game winning streak over a 13-day span, matching their win total from the season’s first 59 days. Veteran Brook Lopez stepped into the starting role and delivered some of the most productive basketball of his Clippers tenure, highlighted by a 31-point outburst against Portland that included a career-high nine made 3-pointers. Lopez has also anchored the defense, totaling nine blocks over the stretch and giving the Clippers a rim-protecting presence they sorely needed. Behind him, backup center Yanic Konan Niederhauser carved out a growing role, notching a career-high 16 points against Sacramento before setting another personal mark with 10 rebounds versus Utah.

3. Balancing Continuity and Reintegration

Through 28 games this season, Zubac has averaged 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting over 60 percent from the field, numbers that reflect both efficiency and reliability. The challenge now is not whether he can produce, but how head coach Tyronn Lue will blend him back into a rotation that has stabilized in his absence. With Lopez finding his rhythm and Niederhauser gaining confidence, the Clippers suddenly have frontcourt options rather than holes to plug. Saturday’s matchup with the Celtics, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. local time, will offer the first look at how the Clippers’ new-found momentum meshes with the return of their starting center.