February 26, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Benedict Maturin (9) drives toward the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the third quarter at the Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Image The Los Angeles Clippers’ dramatic turnaround took them a few steps back.
They will try to regain their footing when they host the improving New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
The Clippers are off to a 7-21 start with a 20-10 surge and are in a strong position to enter the play-in tournament, but have lost their last three games due to injuries.
“Our guys are going to play hard and the competition will put you in a position to win the game,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “And that’s kind of been the last three games, you just have to play hard and be able to compete.”
Guard Darius Garland (left toe injury) has yet to make his Los Angeles debut after being acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a midseason shakeup that saw the Clippers trade James Harden and center Ivica Zubac. Garland appears close to returning, but was ruled out on Sunday.
Los Angeles also played without Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and John Collins (head) in Thursday’s 94-88 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chris Dunn took on a bigger role and responded with 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes.
“I’m just trying to be a connector for the team,” Dunn said. “Whatever the coaching staff asks me to do, I just try to do it. Whether it’s having the ball and getting off the ball, locking someone in, I just try to do what I can.”
The Clippers expect Leonard (28.0 points per game) to return, while Collins (13.8) is listed as questionable for the game against New Orleans. They turned to rookie Benedict Maturin to bolster the offense, and he averaged 20.7 points in his first six games.
The Pelicans have won four straight after defeating the Utah Jazz on Thursday and Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Saddiq Bey followed his season-high 42-point performance with a team-high 24 points in Thursday’s 115-105 win. New Orleans led by 27 points in both games before shrinking the lead to single digits.
“It’s fantastic to get two wins here,” interim coach James Borrego said. “But we have to finish better.”
New Orleans lost second-leading scorer Zion Williamson to a right ankle injury Saturday after playing just 11 minutes. Leading scorer Trey Murphy III could return from a five-game absence due to a right shoulder contusion, although his status on Sunday is uncertain.
Point guard Dejounte Murray will likely return in the leadoff position for this back-to-back Saturday after sitting out his first two games since undergoing Achilles surgery in January.
However, the team still had plenty of offensive production in the two games against the Jazz. They had a season-high 37 assists on 46 field goals on Thursday and 32 assists on 39 field goals on Saturday.
“We are becoming much more efficient in the transition,” Borrego said. “They’ve been sharing the basketball and have about 30 assists every night. They don’t care who gets the ball or who makes shots, they just make the right, simple plays.”
–Field level media
