Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (hamstring) and guard Luke Kennard (calf) are out for Friday night’s home game against the Denver Nuggets.
At the halfway point of the 2022-23 season, Los Angeles is 22-21 and sits in sixth place in the Western Conference. LA trails the top-seeded Nuggets in seven games.
Citing several NBA betting sites, the Clippers have the sixth-best odds to win the championship. See which sportsbooks are offering the best odds for the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver.
Paul George and Luke Kennard will not be participating in practice today, but both are working out and shooting before practice, according to T Lu. pic.twitter.com/mkcCtzAhHM
– Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 12, 2023
George has missed 13 games this season. In 30 starts, the seven-time All-Star averaged 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is also shooting 45.1% from the floor and 38.5% from 3-point range.
On December 31, in the Clippers’ 131–130 loss to the Indiana Pacers, George scored a season-high 45 points in 40 minutes. He finished 15-of-25 (60%) from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from beyond the arc.
Clippers forward Paul George (hamstring), guard Luke Kennard (calf) were sidelined Friday against the Nuggets.
As for the sixth-year guard, Luke Kennard averaged 8.7 points, 2.5 boards and 1.2 assists in 29 games. Additionally, he is shooting a career-high 48.9% from the floor and 46.2% from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, on the Nuggets’ injury report, Jamal Murray (ankle) and Bruce Brown Jr. (calf) have been upgraded. However, MVP candidate Nikola Jokic (right wrist, injury management) is now listed as questionable. Peyton Watson (groin) and Colin Gillespie (foot) are out indefinitely.
#New Year Injury report vs. Clippers: Nikola Jokic is questionable (right wrist, injury management), Jamal Murray is probable (sprained left ankle), Bruce Brown is likely (sore left calf).
— Mike Singer (@msinger) January 12, 2023
Heading into Friday night’s interconference upset, Denver is 8-2 in its last 10 games. The Nuggets are on a four game winning streak. They are 10-5 in their last 15 games against the Clippers. Not to mention, Denver is 7-1 in eight meetings with Los Angeles.
Additionally, the Clippers are 3-7 in their last 10 contests. He snapped a six-game skid with a 113-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. LA is 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against Western Conference opponents.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Clippers have a 57.6% chance of beating Denver at home. Sportsbooks show Los Angeles as a 2.5-point favorite. If Jokic isn’t available, this will probably affect the betting lines before the tip. The Nuggets are 10-10 away and 5-4 as the underdog.
