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Rivers Loves Clippers’ Play Late In Games

Rowan Kavner

LOS ANGELES - Head coach Doc Rivers looks at one aspect in particular of this year’s Clippers group that stands out to him as being superior to years past.

It’s the Clippers’ ability to handle late-game situations and close games out, particularly when it comes to getting stops in crunch time, that Rivers hopes will benefit them in the playoffs.

“The one thing I love about this team is they’ve shown the ability to do that,” Rivers said. “Even when we’re playing well and the other team is playing well and it’s a one-point game, we’ve shown the ability far better this year than last year to just close out games.”

The Clippers’ defensive rating was right in the middle of the pack for the season, but they hold a top-10 defensive rating since the All-Star break, and they demonstrated an ability to clamp down defensively late in close games throughout the year.

In the last five minutes of games in which the Clippers are leading or trailing by four or five points, they own the third best defensive rating in the game.

J.J. Redick said the Clippers have gotten better at limiting opponents’ quick scores when they have a fourth-quarter lead. Even when they’re losing, DeAndre Jordan’s seen that defensive intensity ramp up.

“We’ve been down and we’ve locked down,” Jordan said. “Doc’s told us just to believe in what we’ve been preaching the entire season…Down the stretch, you may not be able to run in transition and get easy baskets. We may have to grind it out and play half-court offense and get stops.”

Rivers believes the Clippers have possessed that late-game skillfulness most of the year, not just during the seven-game winning streak to close the season.

“It’s something that we have in us that’s been very good, and we have to continue to do it,” Rivers said. “We execute so much better this year than last year down the stretch of games. We trust better, so much better, this year. I think that will, hopefully, serve us well in the playoffs.”

Chris Paul also mentioned that word – “trust” – when discussing the Clippers’ late-game discipline.

“We’ve been together and been through so many situations,” Paul said. “When Doc draws up plays, we talk about it all season long – execution, execution, everybody has to do their job – I think we all trust in what Doc draws up, and we all trust that we’re going to do our job.”

When they don’t do their respective jobs perfectly, they’re not afraid to speak up. That was evident early in the regular season finale, when Paul and Blake Griffin got into a heated discussion despite holding a comfortable lead.

Griffin said it’s “probably a perfectionist thing” on both of their parts, but he added that it’s also “a great thing.” Paul and Rivers both agreed the ability to critique and move on is a positive and productive trait.

“A year ago, whenever anybody got upset after a play or something, no one talked to each other,” Rivers said. “This group has really grown. That’s why I keep saying, we’re just so much better in that. That gives you a chance. In the West, all you can ask for is a chance.”

Jamal Crawford said Monday night against Denver, when the game could’ve gone either way and the Clippers had a lot more on the line than the Nuggets, there was no panic or splintering. That may not have been the case in years past, but Crawford believes fans can see the biggest difference in this year’s team late in games. 

“I think even if you see us disappointed or something doesn’t go our way, I think we can bounce back a lot quicker,” Crawford said.