The Clippers shipped Blake Griffin’s ass out to Detroit, but Blake’s getting the last laugh … ’cause he’s 100% “happy” in the Motor City — so says Austin Rivers. “It’s a fresh start for him. He’s been here for a long time,” Rivers — Blake’s longtime Clippers teammate — told us at LAX.
Position: G
Born: 08/01/92
Height: 6-4 / 1.93
Weight:199 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Salary: $11,825,000
Born: 08/01/92
Height: 6-4 / 1.93
Weight:199 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Salary: $11,825,000
“It was kind of weird for the guys,” Pierce says. “Maybe people felt favoritism because his dad was coaching — and playing — him. I look at it that, if I was coaching my son, I’d probably have done the same damn thing, and paid him, too. But it was really hard for people to grasp that. I know the dynamic of Doc and his son. While Austin was growing, Doc wasn’t really around. He saw an opportunity to have his son around. At the end of the day, Austin was a lottery pick, and he just needed the right situation. Doc thought he could give that to him. And he’s turned into a solid NBA pro.”
The Rockets actually had a 23-8 advantage in free throws attempted, but Rivers’ point was that the Clippers earned several more trips to the line. “I thought our guys drove and got hit all game,” Rivers said. “Lou [Williams] down the stretch got killed on a play and no call. Austin [Rivers] gets hit and no call. DJ [DeAndre Jordan] gets fouled over the back. “I haven’t [complained about officiating] all year. Our guys played their hearts out. But for them to shoot that many more free throws than us, and we’re the team attacking, it just doesn’t make basketball sense to me. It is what it is, and we have to move on.”
13 Mar
David Hardisty: Austin Rivers on James Harden: “He’s the best offensive player in the NBA. In my eyes, he is. I think we came into the game trying to just give him space and he gets going, like any player, but when you have the confidence level of a guy like that, there’s nothing you can do.”
Brad Turner: Austin Rivers is playing. Milos Teodosic is out
