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Clippers’ reserves could use some help — from the starters, maybe?

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They all view themselves as playing significant roles when it comes to winning and losing as Clippers, the starters obviously the main group and the reserves important pieces.

So now that the bench has struggled somewhat in recent games and the substitutes have lost a key member — guard Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring) — the reserves need a pick-me-up from the starters.

It would be a twist on so many occasions this season, when the bench guys have come to the rescue of the starters.

“I don’t really separate the two, to be honest with you. We’re just a team,” Clippers super sub Jamal Crawford said. “We win or lose, it’s the Clippers. Obviously, in a playoff situation you may not see five bench guys out there anyway. For us, it’s just about feeling good and protecting those leads no matter who’s out on the court.”

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Clippers in race for West’s fourth spot

Since the Clippers are in a fight with the Utah Jazz for home-court advantage in the Western Conference, Los Angeles Coach Doc Rivers was asked what is the biggest reward in having the home-court advantage in the playoffs.

“Game 7,” Rivers said. “That’s about it. Really. Game 7s are big. Statistically, you guys go figure it out. I don’t know what they are. But I’m going to go on a limb and say that the percentages of Game 7 have gone to the home team over the years.”

After the Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road against the Golden State Warriors, the home team had won 80.1 % of the Game 7s.

At the start of Wednesday night’s game against Dallas, the Clippers were in fifth place, one game behind the fourth-place Jazz.

With that in mind, Rivers was asked how important it would be for his team to get the fourth seed and the home-court advantage that would come with it.

“It would be great,” Rivers said. “But what can we do? We have four games left. That’s why I’ll let you guys [in the media] worry about all that stuff. For me, all we can do is play. And if we win all four games and Utah wins out, we still don’t get it. So we could literally take care of business the next four and still don’t get it. So I don’t worry about it.

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“Game 7s are great to have at home. At best case, we’re going to have it one round. So clearly it’s going to be hard for us, and we know that. Let’s not go to Game 7s. That would be the best way to do it.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BA_Turner

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