LA Clippers First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
John Collins scored the Clippers’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 17 times in 56 starts, or 30% of the games they started. Ivica Zubac was next with 17. The Clippers made the game’s first field goal in 47% of their 83 games and won 48% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Clippers in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any LAC player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Collins | 56 | 17 | 30% | 7 | 12% |
| Ivica Zubac | 42 | 17 | 40% | 4 | 10% |
| Kawhi Leonard | 66 | 13 | 20% | 4 | 6% |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 46 | 11 | 24% | 9 | 20% |
| Brook Lopez | 41 | 11 | 27% | 4 | 10% |
| Kris Dunn | 69 | 5 | 7% | 4 | 6% |
| James Harden | 44 | 4 | 9% | 3 | 7% |
| Darius Garland | 18 | 3 | 17% | 3 | 17% |
| Kobe Sanders | 16 | 1 | 6% | 1 | 6% |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Clippers scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 83 | 39 | 47% |
| Home | 42 | 22 | 52% |
| Away | 41 | 17 | 41% |
| Regular season | 82 | 39 | 48% |
| Play-in | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivica Zubac | 41 | 16 | 39% |
| Brook Lopez | 41 | 23 | 56% |
| Team | 82 | 39 | 48% |
How the Clippers’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 35 | 42% |
| Layup | 23 | 28% |
| 3-pointer | 15 | 18% |
| Dunk | 10 | 12% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivica Zubac | 87 | 28 | 32% | 17 | 20% |
| Norman Powell | 67 | 19 | 28% | 8 | 12% |
| James Harden | 86 | 13 | 15% | 6 | 7% |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 56 | 11 | 20% | 3 | 5% |
| Kris Dunn | 64 | 10 | 16% | 4 | 6% |
| Kawhi Leonard | 44 | 3 | 7% | 3 | 7% |
| Terance Mann | 12 | 3 | 25% | 2 | 17% |
| Mo Bamba | 2 | 1 | 50% | 1 | 50% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Clippers?
John Collins, with 17 of the Clippers’ first baskets in 2025-26 (30% of their 56 starts), ahead of Ivica Zubac with 17.
How often do the Clippers score first?
The Clippers made the first field goal in 39 of 83 games in 2025-26 (47%): 52% at home and 41% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Clippers?
Ivica Zubac took 41 of the Clippers’ 82 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 39% of them.
Is John Collins a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 30% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.