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Clippers Make Ben Simmons Decision for Rockets Game

The LA Clippers have decided Ben Simmons' availability against the Houston Rockets
Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;  Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The LA Clippers face off against the Houston Rockets in their final back-to-back of the 2024-25 NBA season.

While many teams typically play all of their players through a back-to-back, they affect the Clippers more than the average NBA team. The Clippers have two key players who won't typically play on a back-to-back: Kawhi Leonard and Ben Simmons.

The Clippers opted to rest Leonard against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday but played Simmons. Now, Leonard will be available against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday but will not be playing Simmons.

While Simmons isn't anywhere near as important to the Clippers as Kawhi Leonard, he's still a key piece of the bench lineup. Backup center Drew Eubanks simply isn't good enough to play in impactful minutes, and the team relies heavily on Simmons to play backup center minutes when needed. On Tuesday against the Spurs, Simmons had 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 15 minutes.

Through 16 games with the Clippers, Simmons has averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 43.4% shooting from the field in 16 minutes a game. While his totals are all essentially career lows, he still plays impactful minutes for the team and can be important when unlocking lineups in the NBA playoffs.

The LA Clippers face off against the Houston Rockets at 10:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday night.

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Published
Farbod Esnaashari
FARBOD ESNAASHARI

14-Year NBA Veteran covering multiple teams on Sports Illustrated. Throughout the years, Farbod has been featured on ESPN, Bleacher Report, Forbes, and various live television outlets.

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