LA Clippers reserve Montrezl Harrell credited his teammates for supporting him while he was away from the bubble.
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00:00 LA Clippers star reserve Montrezl Harrell returned to the floor Monday night after a month-long absence from the NBA campus in Orlando.
00:06 He played just 15 minutes in LA's game one victory of the Dallas Mavericks,
00:10 but the fact that he was even there in the first place is enough reason for fans to celebrate.
00:14 With his way from the team, Harrell lost his grandmother, who he considered to be one of his closest friends.
00:19 She introduced him to the game of basketball and was one of his biggest supporters and fans.
00:23 On Tuesday, Harrell spoke to the media for the first time in over a month and discussed what it was like to go through the process,
00:29 something he says was made easier with help of his teammates, saying,
00:32 "My teammates are a huge, huge uplifting factor at this time, at this whole process.
00:37 From the first instance of when I went home, they checked on me every day,
00:41 sent me text messages, keep my spirits high, keep my family in their prayers and well wishes."
00:45 Harrell further credited his teammates for showing him they truly cared about him,
00:49 pointing to phone calls and expressions of feelings as gestures that helped him to stay in the right mindset.
00:56 Ultimately, it's just one more instance of this team showing just how tight-knit it really is.
01:00 There may be some issues with on-court chemistry this season, what we've seen every now and again,
01:04 but that isn't, never really has been because these guys don't get along.
01:09 Hell, it's been the biggest factor in that regard all the way through.
01:11 Fortunately, the Clippers are finally whole again, just in time for the postseason to begin.
01:17 Monday's conference contest with the Mavericks marked the first time since March 8th that LA had a fully healthy roster available and
01:23 calling it that still feels like a stretch right now.
01:26 Harrell was on a minute's restriction with this game and he's going through his first NBA action over five months,
01:31 while Patrick Beverley and Landry Schamett looked rusty and spent a little bit of that time on the floor
01:35 after missing a handful of the team's seeding games.
01:38 There's no question the Clippers will continue to improve and grow together as the playoffs continue and the closeness that Harrell spoke about should only
01:45 expedite that process.
01:46 LA will play game two of its series at Dallas on Wednesday, August 19th at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.