Clippers’ Nicolas Batum reconvenes basketball activities

A photo of a solitary basketball hoop gave the Clippers’ fan base — already in good spirits following the previous night’s 119-115 victory over the Lakers — an extra jolt of optimism Saturday.

That’s because Nicolas Batum tweeted the photo, which depicted one of the practice baskets at the Clippers’ training facility in Playa Vista, with the caption: “Day 1… good to see you again.”

Batum has been away from the his Clippers teammates — all of whom were vaccinated before the season, Coach Tyronn Lue said — in COVID-19 health and safety protocols since Nov. 21. He was a late scratch that day before the Clippers hosted Dallas in an early game, first because of “illness,” a distinction that was updated shortly thereafter.

On Wednesday, when the Clippers lost to the Kings 124-115, both Lue and center Ivica Zubac indicated that Batum was feeling better.

Including that loss, the Clippers were 3-4 during Batum’s absence entering Saturday’s rematch in Sacramento, and not nearly as good defensively for most of his time away. They had the NBA’s second-best defensive rating (102.1) before he began what he called his “COVID quarantine” on Twitter, and a 112.6 defensive rating after, 21st in the league.

For that reason — and because of they like the guy, surely — the Clippers are eager for him to return.

“But it was good seeing him back in the building, I’ll tell you that,” Lue said, via Zoom, before tipoff Saturday. “It’s getting close. We definitely need him.”

STAYING BIG

Lue reiterated that the Clippers’ two-big starting lineup — anchored by 7-foot Ivica Zubac and center and 6-10 Serge Ibaka at power forward — isn’t here to stay, that it’ll be situational, and yet …

The lineup played another encore Saturday against a Sacramento team that was starting 6-foot-10 Richaun Holmes and 6-9 former USC standout Chimezie Metu.

“Still trying to figure it out,” said Lue about his decision to pair the two big men a third time. “I think it helps us with our rebounding. I think with Serge and Zu down there, two guys who are great at blocking shots and verticality at the rim, but it is different.

“It’ll be different on a night to night basis; if teams start a small four then it’d be tough to put Serge out there at the four. With this team starting the way they’re starting tonight then we can try to do it again tonight and get away with it.

“But they’ve done some good things (and) whoever’s playing the best out of Serge and Zu those first six minutes, we’ll get the other guy out and … bring in a four. Like I said, just mixing and matching, just trying to find the right combinations.”

It proved the right move Friday, when the Clippers outscored the Lakers by nine points in the 18.4 minutes the starters — Zubac, Ibaka and Paul George, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. — were on the floor.

“We needed to play big,” said George after he contributed a team-high eight rebounds, along with 19 points, nine assists and two steals to the victory (in which the Clippers still were outrebounded, 43-34 — although Lue’s squad lost the battle on the boards just 13-11 in the first quarter).

“This team, our Achilles heel is rebounding … so coming into tonight we needed to play big, kind of counter what they have out there with Dwight (Howard) and Anthony Davis, Bron (LeBron James). So that was just the emphasis to play big, come out and match up against them. And it paid off.”