San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) and Los Angeles Clippers’ Glen Davis (0) scramble for a rebound during the first half of Game 6 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in San Antonio. Los Angeles Clippers’ Austin Rivers is at left. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Clippers consider forward Glen Davis available to play in Game 7 of their first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at Staples Center, two days after nursing a sprained left ankle that kept him out for most of the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ Game 6 win over the Spurs.
“Baby’s fine,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “If you play in the game, you’re healthy. That’s the way the other team views it. That’s the way I always view it. If you’re on the floor, I expect you to be 100 percent.”
Davis walked around gingerly in the locker room before indicating that he feels fine and would not sit out a game that will decide the first-round series.
The Clippers have featured an eight-man rotation through six playoff games, a trend that speaks both to the Spur’s depth superiority and the Clippers’ talented starters that include Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Though Rivers has downplayed the trend, the Spurs’ reserves have outscored the Clippers’ bench, 217-134.
Yet, Davis has helped the Clippers despite averaging only 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. He has provided energy. Davis also has given the Clippers a dependable option in place of Jordan whenever the Spurs intentionally send him to the foul line. But Rivers said he may play Spencer Hawes or Hedo Turkoglu should Davis experience any limitations.
“We pay them all. They all have to be ready,” Rivers said. “That doesn’t mean we’ll play them all. But if somebody is not performing well, or goes out with injury when it’s your role players, you expect someone else to come in and do the job.”
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