Game 58: LA Clippers (38-20) vs Brooklyn (17-42)

[og15]

The new scheme has Brooklyn averaging 104.9 points over its last nine games -- nearly eight above its season average -- while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 44.3 from 3-point range.

It has the Nets in position for a three-game winning streak for the first time this season after forcing 21 turnovers and making 12 steals in each of the last two games, including a 98-96 win at Utah on Saturday.

"The pace that we want to play with -- we're doing it," guard Donald Sloan said. "The looks we want to get -- we're getting those. All in all, each game we're getting more fluidity with what we're trying to play."

The Clippers might have Austin Rivers back after missing nine games with a broken left hand.

"I've been shooting for the past week, been doing a lot of shooting, a ton of therapy every day, hours of therapy every day," Rivers told the team's official website. "It feels strong. I'm a quick healer. I'm very fortunate.

"My shot feels great. I feel like I have good wind, but I just want to get back with the team. I'm ready to get back."

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400828777

Clippers leaders since Blake injury

Chris Paul:

21.8 ppg | 4.6 rpg | 10.1 apg | 2.2 spg | .580 TS%

DeAndre Jordan:

13.3 ppg | 15.1 rpg | 2.2 bpg | 67.7% FG

JJ Redick:

17.9 ppg | 2.0 rpg | 0.9 tpg | 50.0% 3PT | .647 TS%

Jamal Crawford:

16.5 ppg | 2.1 apg | 91.7% FT | .542 TS%

Clippers storylines:
How does the rotation change with Austin's return?
Can the Clippers continue to afford to play Paul Pierce at PF?

[nickhx2]

for sure, all the spot minutes cj was getting will disappear and turn into austin's. a portion of cp3's will, too, so i think overall it won't super change. maybe he eats into wes's, and maybe luc's start disappearing completely as we've seen doc start playing green more and more (esp over him in crunch time)

[nickhx2]

and i think clearly once pierce comes back he will just take whatever is left of wes's minutes. which is unfortunate as he has been by far the team's worst player (though some don't see it or are unwilling to admit it).

[LACtdom]

I keep dreaming that one day we can use these 'meant-to-be easy W's' kind of games to give our bench 24+ mins to build chemistry and remove kinks. We know CP is going to be required to play big minutes against OKC so it would be nice to take some pressure off him tonight.

[nickhx2]

unfortunately blake lost his damn mind and sunk that ship. the rest of the season will be everyone finally trying to get acclimated together with jeff green while doc wastes his time trying to get pierce into playoff shape.

[mattd13]

have to agree with you nick on pierce. however he has some close company in Austin. I hope green can help and learn to pass. the offense is built on ball movement and so far I see him dominating the ball to much. we need blake back in a big way. I just hold my breath while we wait.

[nickhx2]

i disagree with you on austin and have disagreed with you all year. he's a crappy shooter and passer but he finishes well and he's a good defender. he's one of our better players, though i think that might say more about how some or our dudes are just not that good. that is a far cry from pierce's effectiveness on the court.

[og15]

Austin is at least not a liability on defense, while Pierce has been so far. Austin's 3PT shot still need work, no doubt, and no guard wants to be shooting under 75% FT (he's at 67.7% FT), but he finishes 65% at the rim, 49% from floater range (3-10 feet), and he's shot 42% from long mid-range, these are all huge improvements when compared to his career. If he could become a respectable 3PT shooter and better FT shooter, he'd be a respectable enough overall player, just not a PG.

Austin's TS% is at .508, Pierce is at .474 (-4.4%), and Pierce is barely beating Austin's 28.4% 3PT by shooting just 31.2% 3PT. He really needs to pick it up in the rest of the games before the season ends unless it just won't make sense to play him in the post-season.

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/704504266887593984[/tweet]

[nickhx2]

wtf seriously? lol

[mttwlsn16]

A condor? Lol

[nickhx2]

pierce starting. meh

[Neddy]

urg... time to fire Gillian Zucker.

a condor? might as well use an Oar. damn it make it a MR. Sail, how about the captain pegleg??? what the **** is the correlation of a condor to a clipper? condors are vultures residing exclusively in mountain ranges. clipper is a sail ship exclusively of oceanic use.

[Neddy]

we are making Thomas Robinson look like a legitimate NBA starter, lol

[nickhx2]

kind of annoying that the team can't separate against the nets.

[nickhx2]

dj couldn't box his way out of a box.

no idea what the hell is inside of jamal's head but i don't think it has anything to do with smart basketball.

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/704521093948817409[/tweet]

[Neddy]

dj couldn't box his way out of a box.

no idea what the hell is inside of jamal's head but i don't think it has anything to do with smart basketball.

the answer

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/704522445718315008[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/704522597665529856[/tweet]

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/704522975110762496[/tweet]