Clippers’ Mason Plumlee out for remaining road games with knee sprain

Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee reportedly has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Plumlee will return to Los Angeles for further evaluation and will miss the remaining two games of the Clippers’ current road trip.

Plumlee was injured during the Clippers’ game against the New York Knicks. Knicks forward Julius Randle was tripped to the ground near the half-court line in the fourth quarter. Plumlee left the game with 4:10 left in the quarter.

Plumlee is a key contributor to the Clippers’ second unit, averaging 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this season. His absence will leave a hole in the Clippers’ frontcourt rotation, and PJ Tucker, who was acquired in the James Harden trade, could see more playing time.

The Clippers are already dealing with the absence of Terrence Mann, one of the Clippers’ versatile players. Plumlee’s injury complicates the situation for Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who is tasked with integrating four superstar players – Kohwai Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook – into the lineup.

Despite the star-studded roster, the Clippers suffered a disappointing loss to the Knicks on Monday night. Harden struggled in his Clippers debut, scoring just 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Leonard, George and Westbrook also played poorly, highlighting the challenge of combining four point guards into a cohesive whole.

Lue will face a daunting task of finding the right balance between his star players, especially Harden and Westbrook, who are both used to keeping the ball in their hands. It remains to be seen how Lue will integrate Harden and Westbrook into the Clippers’ offense and find a way to maximize their talents while maintaining a balanced attack.