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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has been scratched Wednesday night against Miami because of pneumonia, ending the NBA's longest active consecutive games streak at 360.
Jordan last missed a game on March 23, 2011, after being diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia.
The eight-year veteran has been sick for at least the last four days, coach Doc Rivers said. Rivers said Jordan felt worse after Sunday's 114-111 overtime win against New Orleans.
Jordan had 12 points and 11 rebounds in that win for his ninth straight double-double, the longest active string in the NBA.
"I can tell you he was doing everything he could to try to play this game," Rivers said. "I thought that even the thought of it was ludicrous, but not him. He texted back and forth: 'I'm going to play. I'm going to make it. I'll be there.' And then he finally, the last text was: 'I can't make it.'"
Jordan has won the last two NBA rebounding titles and is the franchise leader in that category.
"You get so used to just (writing) his name in the lineup, you don't even think about it," Rivers said. "You appreciate guys like that."
Jordan's playing streak was the second-longest in the history of the Clippers franchise behind Randy Smith's 595 straight with the Buffalo Braves.
"(Former NBA coach) Hubie Brown's favorite saying is: 'The No. 1 ability is availability.' And D.J.'s the king of it," Rivers said.
"I had no idea it was 360 until just now. That's a tough way to break it. It's too bad for him, and obviously, it hurts our team a little bit. I think what we'll miss tonight is obviously his athleticism. But we're also going to miss his talk," he said.
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