Norman Powell has embraced his turn as the Los Angeles Clippers’ go-to scorer and gets a chance to show his productive form against his former team when the Toronto Raptors pay a visit Saturday to Inglewood, Calif.
Without Kawhi Leonard, who has not played this season because of a knee injury, and Paul George, who departed in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers, Powell has averaged a career-best 25.7 points per game this season.
Powell scored a team-high 31 points in a 107-98 victory on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. James Harden posted 22 points and Ivica Zubac added 13 points with 15 rebounds.
It was the third time Powell reached 30 points in a game this season as the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-best three games.
Powell was averaging 19.6 points over the first 42 games of the 2020-21 season with the Raptors when he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I’m trying to be the best basketball player that I can be and that comes with the work,” Powell said. “The opportunity is here and there’s more on my plate, especially early on with Kawhi being out.”
“I’m just focused on the next play and making sure the play that I’m making is gonna benefit the team.”
After their one-game road trip to Sacramento, the Clippers return to their new arena, where they have won two consecutive games after losing the first four in the $2 billion building. Los Angeles defeated the San Antonio Spurs and 76ers at home earlier this week.
The Raptors arrive in the Los Angeles area after losing the first two games of their five-game road trip. After facing the Clippers on Saturday, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Toronto fell 122-107 at Sacramento on Wednesday despite RJ Barrett scoring 23 points and Davion Mitchell contributing 20. Chris Boucher added 17 points off the bench, while Immanuel Quickley (pelvic contusion), Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture), Garrett Temple (back) and Kelly Olynyk (back) remained out.
The Raptors led 93-89 through three quarters by shooting 54.4 percent from the floor and holding the Kings to 42.9 percent. But they were overwhelmed 33-14 in the fourth quarter when they shot 30 percent, while Sacramento shot 60 percent.
“Although we’re not getting the wins we may want right now, we’re paying very well,” Barrett said. “We’re going into the fourth quarter in Sacramento, a hostile environment, with the lead so we’re doing something right in these games. … We’re doing the right things and we just have to learn how to sustain that over the course of 48 (minutes).”
In his first full season with his hometown Raptors, after a trade from the New York Knicks last December, Barrett has taken charge with averages of 25.7 points, 7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
Second-year player Gradey Dick averages 20 points per game, while Jakob Poeltl is chipping in 15.0 points with a team-best 11.4 rebounds. Barnes averaged 19.3 points over the first four games before his injury.
Rookie reserves Jonathan Mogbo (hip) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) both were injured against the Kings. While Mogbo was listed as probable on the game injury report, Walter aggravated a previous shoulder injury at will be out at least a week.
