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24 Seconds With … Doc Rivers

Rowan Kavner Digital Content Coordinator

This weekly series from Clippers.com features a Q&A with Clippers players, coaches, alumni or those tied somehow to the Clippers’ organization. The next edition features head coach Doc Rivers.

BOSTON – Fresh off a Western Conference Coach of the Month honor, head coach Doc Rivers now has the Clippers off to a 3-1 start to February.

Rivers talked following Monday’s comeback win in Philadelphia, which gave the Clippers’ their third straight victory and improved their record to 19-4 in their last 23 games, despite dealing with significant injuries. Next on the slate is a reunion for Rivers and Paul Pierce in Boston before the All-Star break.

Was that perfect execution on the game-tying 3-pointer from J.J. Redick?

DR: “Yeah, that was good. I mean, we got one the play before for Jamal (Crawford). Honestly, I was thanking the basketball gods. We didn’t play the right way all game and when Jamal missed the wide-open three, even with J.J. there, I honestly didn’t think that would go in because sometimes that’s the way it works. But the execution was good. We didn’t obviously play that well, and they played great; they played so hard. They’re so athletic and they started it off early, but running that play and getting a wide-open shot for J.J. was great for us.”

How big was DeAndre Jordan’s offensive rebound on Crawford’s miss, which led to free throws?

DR: “Yeah, makes one. There were just a lot of little plays down the stretch. We finally decided to defend. What did they have, 59 at halftime? So first of all, I thought the defense was better. But again, we’re becoming that team that no matter how it looks or the game is being played, we’re finding ways at the end—it happened in Miami, really, that’s what they talked about, we grinded the game out and this was one we didn’t really grind out until the end but we did get the win and that’s important.”

Is it good to get that experience of needing a late-game possession to tie it up?

DR: “I’ll pass. What I did like is when we felt like we got away with one, the first three plays in overtime, that was the best execution we had all game. You’re looking at each other like, ‘Where was that all game?’ They did it. They were locked in, that was nice to see.”

What’ll it be like going back to Boston with Pierce?

DR: “That’ll be cool. That will be really cool.”

You think you’ll get as many cheers as you did when you were with the Celtics?

DR: “I don’t know if we should, but that will be nice, and it will be great for Paul. I mean, they don’t know if this is his last time there or not. He may play next year, he may play the next year after that, but he could hang it up, and so I think every time he walks into that building, really over anybody on our team, Paul’s the guy. I mean, he started it all. He was there with me and even before me through some hard years, so he persevered and got a ring and so I think he probably epitomizes the city more than any single player over the last 30 years, and it’s really cool. He’ll get a great applause.”