Patrick Beverley, hampered by a lingering left calf strain, misses Clippers' loss in Game 2

ByOhm Youngmisuk ESPN logo
Thursday, August 20, 2020

The LA Clippers were without Patrick Beverley in Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, due to a lingering left calf strain.

Coach Doc Rivers said the team's starting point guard was not moving well in the morning shootaround. Beverley was added to the afternoon injury report as questionable before the team downgraded him to out.

Reggie Jackson started at point guard for the Clippers, posting 11 points and four rebounds but just one assist in 26 minutes of Los Angeles' 127-114 loss in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, that evened the series at 1-1.

Beverley suffered the injury on Aug. 4 against the Phoenix Suns and missed the final five seeding games for the Clippers. He played in Game 1 against Dallas but was limited to 20 minutes as he accumulated five personal fouls.

"I don't have any sense," Rivers said when asked about the severity of the injury. "Obviously it is something that has lingered. But I have no sense whether he plays next game or if this is one of those things that takes a week or so. I just don't know."

The Clippers' 118-110 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1 was only the 12th time all season that the team had its full lineup available. The team has often been short-handed due to injuries and also personal situations that saw three Clippers leave the bubble to tend to family emergencies.

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis, who was listed as questionable Wednesday morning due to right knee soreness, played in Game 2. He had 23 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes as Dallas finished with six players in double-digit scoring.