Clippers guard Austin Rivers hopes to return during series vs. Jazz
Austin Rivers has not suited up for the Clippers in April, but he may play sometime during a first round playoff series.
After suffering a left hamstring strain against the Washington Wizards on March 29, Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers missed the final six games of the regular season. A return for the start of the playoffs was considered possible, but Rivers himself hinted he could miss the entirety of any first round series the Clippers had. In Rivers’ absence, the Clippers won each of their final six regular season games.
Via a head-to-head regular season tiebreaker, the No. 4 seed Clippers have home court advantage in the first round against the Utah Jazz. The series will start Saturday night at Staples Center, and now there’s some indication if or when the head coach’s son will take the floor for the Clippers.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rivers offered a timeline for his return.
Austin Rivers (strained hamstring) said he's hoping to be back on the floor by game 3 or 4, depending on scheduling.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 13, 2017
River added a scheduling caveat for his return to action, before anything was announced. But the way the Clippers-Jazz series is spaced out a return for Game 3 definitely looks possible.
Here's the Clippers and Jazz first round schedule: pic.twitter.com/xW6cTAwfKs
— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 13, 2017
After Game 1 Saturday night, Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Then Game 3 and Game 4 in Salt Lake City will be next Friday (April 21) and Sunday (April 23). Two full days between Game 1 and Game 2, then the same between Game 2 and Game 3 with travel, gives Rivers some longer windows to get back to full strength without missing too many more games.
How the Clippers do at home in the first two games against the Jazz may dictate if Rivers plays in Game 3 and Game 4. A 2-0 series lead would bring less urgency, or at least greater monitoring of Rivers’ minutes in subsequent games, while the reverse results may take any restrictions away.
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Rivers averaged career highs in minutes (27.8), points (12.0), assists (2.8) and rebounds (2.2) per game this season, while making a career-best 37.1 percent of his three-pointers. Outside of their “Big 3,” Rivers stands to be an x-factor in any playoff run the Clippers have.