Clippings: Serge Ibaka’s curious absence continues

Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty ImagesTen days ago, things were looking up for Serge Ibaka.

The Clippers big had recently returned from his conditioning stint in the G League and had shown steady signs of improvement in the ensuing games: he found his shooting stroke against New Orleans, joined the starting lineup against Sacramento, and then helped the Clippers close a hard-fought win against their Staples Center cohabitants. Ty Lue noted how Ibaka’s spacing “really gave us an advantage” down the stretch against the Lakers.

Ibaka was in the starting five the following game against the Kings, but the Clippers once again got wrecked by Sacramento’s pace, and Lue swapped out Ibaka for…