Los Angeles Clippers can’t take advantage of Russell Westbrook’s return: Drop to 5th seed in West

Russell Westbrook returned from a 12-game absence due to a left hand fracture, but the presence of the former MVP wasn’t enough as the Los Angeles Clippers fell short to the Indiana Pacers 133-116 at Crypto.com Arena.

In his return, the 9-time All-Star finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists on 50% shooting. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points while James Harden had 11 points and 7 assists. Norman Powell provided 22 points off the bench while Ivica Zubac recorded 9 points and 11 boards.

Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 31 points. Myles Turner had 24 points and 7 rebounds with 4 made triples while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 6 made three-pointers. TJ McConnell recorded 15 points and 6 assists off the bench.

Los Angeles drops to 44-27 with this loss and they now fall to the 5th seed in the West. This was a huge loss for LA as they want home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs but have lost that advantage tonight. After a strong start to the James Harden era, the Clippers have struggled post All-Star break.

They hope to figure things out soon but if not, they’ll enter the postseason without home court advantage. This team is 4-6 over their last 10 games and will look to turn things around on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Indiana improves to 41-32 with this win and remain the 6th seed in the East. This was a huge victory for the Pacers as they are trying to avoid the play-in tournament, so each win makes them one step closer to a top 6 seed. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games and will look to keep up this momentum on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.