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Postgame Notes: Spurs’ Stars Return, Free Agent Interest, More

Rowan Kavner

SAN ANTONIO – The Mavericks got to see a Spurs team two nights ago without every starter other than Kyle Anderson. The Clippers got no such luxury.

Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Tony Parker all rejoined the starting lineup, while Manu Ginobili was available off the bench. Those five players, who didn’t play against the Mavs, combined for 85 points Monday against the Clippers.

Parker was the least likely Spurs player to return to action, as he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. He went from listed as out to questionably, then started and scored 26 points. The Spurs are in a unique situation with their number of injuries and veteran players, and Doc Rivers understands what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is going through with resting players often.

“He has to,” Rivers said. “He has an older team. He does it. I think he does the right thing. We did a lot of it in Boston with Kevin (Garnett) and those guys. We rested them a lot, we rested them minutes-wise, we had restrictions. They have more guys, so they have to. They have no choice.”

Rivers and the Clippers didn’t luck out as many teams have against a Spurs team reliant on its backups to carry the way through large portions of the regular season. But Rivers said even when a team loaded with veterans rests its players, they’re not conceding defeat.

“I think Pop believes at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where they play,” Rivers said. “They’re still the world champs, and they feel like they can beat you anywhere. When you watch him in the games, it’s not like he’s trying to lose these games. That’s where people get mixed up. When they rest, he’s not saying rest and lose. He wants to rest and win.” 

Smith Interest?

As forward Josh Smith shockingly got released from a Pistons team paying him $13.5 million a year through 2016, the Clippers’ name came up.

Rivers addressed the possibility of trying to add Smith, but didn’t add much, as news spread throughout the Clippers’ shootaround Monday morning about the cut.

“I don’t know,” Rivers said, neither confirming nor denying his interest. “It just happened.”

Rivers repeated that he “doesn’t know” when asked about his legitimate interest in Smith and joked prior to Monday’s game against the Spurs that it’s up to the media to decide if the Clippers are interested.

The Clippers can’t offer Smith much, but with the Pistons paying his contract this year, it’s possible the lure of playing for a contender could make him content to play for the veteran minimum.

Film Session

When asked prior to Monday’s game if Popovich looked much at the Clippers or Blake Griffin’s improved jumper, he said he spend his time worrying about his own team.

Rivers concurred, saying he doesn’t typically spend most of his time watching opponents’ film when he’s got enough to focus on with his own squad. He said breaking down opponents is what the assistant coaches are there for.

“I’m more like Pop,” Rivers said. “That’s what the other guys do, Lawrence and all those guys. They have to watch. I have watched a little bit. I’ll watch the offenses against the team we’re playing at times, but I’m a believer in fixing my team.

“I can’t worry about what the other team is doing. I think if we do our jobs and play our way, then everything takes care of itself.”

Measuring Stick?

Rivers isn’t one for “measuring stick” games.

Whether the Clippers won or lost Monday, Rivers said before the game that it wouldn’t tell him much about his team, even against the defending-champion Spurs.

“I don’t think an individual game is a measuring stick,” he said. “They never are. Every once in a while you get lucky, you have two good teams, they’re all healthy and they’ve had two days off and they can actually come into the game. But the record speaks for itself. That’s the measuring stick. Whatever your final record is, that says something.

“You don’t measure during the regular season, because you don’t know what a team’s going through. You don’t know if they’re going through a tough stretch, they could be playing poorly at the stretch, they could have injuries, they could be in what we’re in.”

The Clippers are struggling through one of the toughest stretches of the season in terms of travel. As for the Spurs, they entered Monday’s game on a losing streak, and two of their last three losses came on triple-overtime games.

“It’s just the way it is,” Rivers said. “It’s just hard. But like I did say, everyone’s going through it. Someone’s going to get through it better than the other ones, and they’ll be the victor because of it.:”

Quick Hits

Chris Paul surpassed the 12,000-career point mark in the win and is the fastest player ever to record 12,000 points and 6,000 assists…Paul also passed Norm Nixon for 24th all-time in career assists…The Clippers are 4-6 in their last 10 games against the Spurs and have lost both matchups this season…The Clippers lost despite shooting 50 percent from the floor and only turning the ball over 10 times