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Clippers center Ivica Zubac dunks the ball against Suns center Oso Ighodaro (4) during the second half of the season-opening game Wednesday. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
The Golden State Warriors’ defense collapsed on Clippers center Ivica Zubac late in a tense game Sunday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, but he didn’t panic. Zubac calmly passed out of a double team in the post to Norman Powell, who drilled a 20-foot jumper for a five-point Clippers lead with 3 minutes 1 one second left in the game.
A few moments later in that fourth quarter, Zubac set a screen for James Harden. Once he got the pass from Harden by sliding away from a defender, Zubac faked a pass one way and rambled in for a dunk and a five-point lead again with 2:21 left.
Zubac capped his stellar night by throwing down a dunk off a pass from Kris Dunn that sealed the deal for the Clippers with 42.2 seconds left, giving his team a seven-point lead.
Right before all of their eyes, the Clippers are seeing a more composed Zubac, a more developed and complete player that they can rely on more than ever.
“The game is slowing down for me,” Zubac said Sunday night after posting 23 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. “I’m a lot more confident.”
This is Zubac’s ninth year in the NBA and the growth of the 7-footer has been steady.
Read more: Ivica Zubac’s double-double helps lift Clippers to victory over Warriors
It has been only three games, but Zubac is averaging career highs in points (22.7), rebounds (14), assists (4.3) and minutes (36.7) per game.
The Clippers will need every bit of what Zubac can offer them to have a successful season.
“That’s part of it, the game is slowing down,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said about Zubac. “I think playing through him a little bit more and I think him and James have the good connection. I think James makes a lot of bigs really good over his career. So, just those two guys being on the same page as well.”
Lue said they have gained confidence in using Zubac more in the offense by playing “through him more, giving him more touches.” He has responded by playing his best basketball early in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ivica-zubacs-continued-improvement-making-232958393.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-10-29 23:29:00
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