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Injured Austin Rivers sits out again for Clippers, who are uncertain when he’ll return

Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) reacts in pain after injuring his left hand against the Lakers in the first half at Staples Center on Dec. 29, 2017.
Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) reacts in pain after injuring his left hand against the Lakers in the first half at Staples Center on Dec. 29, 2017.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Austin Rivers sat out a second consecutive game because of a right Achilles tendon injury and when he’ll return is uncertain.

In fact, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that the point guard would have the injury checked out again to determine his status.

When asked if his son was getting closer to playing, Rivers said, “We thought he was.”

“So the fact that he’s not playing says probably not,” he added. “So, we’ll see.

“I know he was working out the last couple of days and had some discomfort. So they’re going to reevaluate his foot again. I think they are going to send him to another guy and see what’s going on. We have to wait and see.”

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Clippers bench playing well

When the season started, the Clippers thought they were a deep team.

That has proven to be the case through a rash of injuries.

Without a strong group of reserves, the Clippers would be in bad shape.

“Our bench has kind of been the one thing that has been there in terms of health and consistency and availability,” said Sam Dekker, one of the team’s key reserves. “We take pride in that. We know that we’ve got to be there no matter who is starting. We have come in with an edge, bring energy and raise the level of play. For the most part, we’ve been proud of the way we’ve handled ourselves and the way we’ve done that. Like I said, we take a lot of pride in the way we’ve played, so we’ve got to continue to do that.”

The top reserve is Lou Williams, who is averaging career highs in points (20.8), assists (4.7), minutes (31.0), three-point shooting (39.7%) and free-throw shooting (88.9).

Dekker said he “got a sense of what Lou could do” last season when both played for the Houston Rockets.

“He’s basically the offensive catalyst and we kind of play off of him,” said Dekker, who is averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.3 minutes a game. “So to watch him get to his spots, play at his pace and do what he’s been able to do every night has been unbelievable. He’s a fun guy to play with. He’s also very unselfish. He may put up a lot of shots, but he’s always looking for us for easy baskets. He knows the game well, so he’s good to learn from.”

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