The Los Angeles Clippers will be without Serge Ibaka in their attempt to take a first step toward overturning a 2-0 series deficit Friday in the Lone Star State.
The Clippers ruled out Ibaka for Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks due to a lingering back injury, head coach Ty Lue told the Los Angeles Times' Andrew Greif ahead of Friday's contest.
Lue added that Ibaka "feels a little bit better but nothing significant where he will be able to play."
The 31-year-old missed a 30-game stretch earlier in the campaign nursing the same back ailment before returning for the Clippers' final two regular-season contests.
Ibaka has largely been a non-factor in the playoffs, logging just 18:22 of action across his team's two defeats in L.A. Lue has relied heavily on small-ball lineups against the Mavs amid Ibaka's limited minutes and Ivica Zubac's minimal contributions.
In 41 regular-season contests, Ibaka averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Ibaka's 23.3 minutes per game were his lowest since his rookie year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10 (18.1).
