Rubio missed the previous games at Sacramento and the Clippers with a sore left ankle, the same one that was surgically repaired in the offseason. In his first four seasons in the NBA, Rubio has only played one full one, leading some fans to express frustration about his inability to stay healthy. Kander also said center Nikola Pekovic is progressing well in his rehabilitation from a procedure to reduce irritation on his right Achilles tendon, which doctors believe led to chronic pain in his right foot.