This past Tuesday was Ivica Zubac’s birthday, and he surely proved he was ready to celebrate. The Croatian center, who turned 28-years of age last night, inspired the Clippers to hand the East-leading Cavaliers their second straight loss, in a 132-119 victory in Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome.
The European big man delivered an impressive double-double performance, with 28 points and 20 rebounds to his name, while Kawhi Leonard dropped 33 points and James Harden contributed with 22 points and nine assists in their team’s fourth-consecutive win.
On the other hand, Max Strus led the Cleveland charge with a season-high 24 points, but wasn’t able to save his team from defeat. The Ohio club’s NBA-best record has fallen to 26-7 after they led by 12 during a 45-point first quarter. Donovan Mitchell had 18 points and 11 assists.
After the game, Zubac talked to the press and touched base on his offensive development. “I enjoy scoring a lot, a lot,” he said. “I think we all started playing basketball because of offense—everyone wants to score. But once you get to the league, there’s so much more. You’ve got to find your role.”
Days before, coach Tyronn Lue addressed Ivica’s growth. “He’s really become elite in that pocket when he catches the ball in a short roll and makes the right pass,” Lue continues. “Even on his post-ups, to come a double, he’s doing a good job of taking his time, making the right pass, and making the right play.”
Even though most of the press’ attention was on the Croatian star, the birthday boy also praised his new teammate Bodgan Bogdanovic’s contributions. “Now, people can see he’s more than just a shooter,” he said about the Serbian. “He’s a great pick-and-roll player, very smart, his IQ is off the charts, and he works really hard. He’s a really good addition to our team.”
Now the Los Angeles side are sitting eight in the Western Conference standings with a 39-30 mark. The Clippers are just one win away from the sixth spot, which leads directly to the postseason, but will have to contest against the Warriors, Timberwolves and Kings.
