- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
How far the Clippers go may hinge largely on the depth of their bench
- Updated: April 21, 2016
4:16 AM ET
LOS ANGELES — While Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, J.J. Redick and DeAndre Jordan left the Los Angeles Clippers’ locker room Wednesday night one by one to answer questions from a podium set up in a conference room, Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, Cole Aldrich and Jeff Green stayed behind and took turns leaning against a table, addressing a handful of reporters.
The Clippers’ second unit doesn’t attract nearly the same amount of attention as the team’s starters, but if their playoff run this season extends further than anyone outside their locker room thinks it can, this revamped group will be a big reason why.
Last season Doc Rivers had to constantly defend his non-existent bench that basically consisted of Crawford and Austin Rivers. He would occasionally find some time for Glen “Big Baby” Davis and brushed the cobwebs off of Spencer Hawes’ man bun, but it was essentially a two-man bench that provided streaky scoring in the backcourt but not much else.
Jamal Crawford led the Clippers’ bench with 11 points and 27 minutes in the win over Portland. Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
Fast forward one year and Rivers is doing something he never thought he would do during the playoffs. He’s playing his entire five-man second unit during key stretches of the game. Not only are the Clippers keeping their lead in those situations, they’re extending it.
In the first half, the second unit turned a three-point advantage into a 15-point lead and in the fourth quarter they took a six-point lead and turned the game into a blowout.
In the Clippers’ 102-81 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series, Rivers, Crawford, Aldrich, Green and Wesley Johnson each had at least a plus-15 and played at least 12 minutes.
“We got a lot of help this season,” said Austin Rivers, who had nine points. “It went from just being Jamal out there to a team. Cole has been f—ing unbelievable on both ends. His defense …
continue reading in source espn.go.com
