Clippers’ Matt Barnes won’t play against Orlando because of injury
Clippers forward Matt Barnes is not going to play against the Orlando Magic because of a bruised right thigh.
Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said Barnes also may not play Thursday night when L.A. plays at the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat.
“I think he got hit in the last game,” said Rivers, referring to the Clippers’ 137-118 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday at Staples Center.
Rivers said not having Barnes, the seventh-man on the team, “is a tough one” for the Clippers because they lose depth behind starting small forward Jared Dudley.
Rivers said if the Magic plays a small lineup he’ll use 6-foot-3 guard Willie Green in place of Barnes. But if the Magic plays big, Rivers said, he’ll use rookie small forward Reggie Bullock, who is 6-foot-7.
“So that’s a tough one,” Rivers said. “Each night, the next two nights, that’ll be with more who [the Magic and Heat] have on the floor than who we want to play.”
Barnes dealt with a bruised left calf during training camp, limiting the 6-foot-7 small forward to just one exhibition.
He did play in the first four games.
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