Clippers center Ivica Zubac, quietly one of the most important contributors during their two-month run toward the top of the Western Conference standings, won’t play for at least the next month as the team waits to reevaluate a strain of his right calf.
The injury led Zubac to be scratched from the starting lineup Sunday shortly before tipoff in Minnesota, and the team is now waiting at least four weeks before trying to return him to action.
During a season in which Zubac’s chemistry with point guard James Harden in the pick-and-roll sets has become a linchpin of the Clippers’ offense, the 26-year-old center is averaging career highs in points (12.