Is Memphis preferable to Portland as playoff foe? Doc Rivers says he doesn’t care

The Clippers could have a small say in their first-round playoff opponent. Predictably, their coach was mostly mum on the topic.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he might rest players April 12 when his team hosts the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center, though it wouldn’t be to boost their chances of meeting in the playoffs.

“I’m sure some will take it that way if we did,” Rivers said Tuesday, “but that won’t be the reason.”

As a playoff opponent, Memphis is widely considered preferable to the Portland Trail Blazers because Grizzlies center Marc Gasol and point guard Mike Conley are both out for the season because of injuries. The Grizzlies are so short-handed that they recently signed point guard Jordan Farmar, who had been playing overseas, giving them five former Clippers on their roster.

The Grizzlies had lost 10 of 12 games before defeating the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. The Trail Blazers also won Tuesday, staying half a game behind Memphis. Whichever team finishes with the better record or wins a tiebreaker will play the Clippers in the first round.

Portland has one of the league’s most dynamic young backcourts with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Trail Blazers lost three of four meetings against the Clippers this season, though McCollum sat out one game after inadvertently being listed as inactive.

Memphis and the Clippers split their first two games this season, each winning at home. The teams previously met twice in the first round of the playoffs, with the Clippers winning in seven games in 2012 and the Grizzlies in six games in 2013.

Rivers said he didn’t care which team the Clippers faced.

“They both will be hard no matter what,” Rivers said. “I think the playoffs are hard. I always laugh when people say, ‘This one will be easy.’ It’s ridiculous. Both teams kind of create their own problem, but I tend to focus on us and letting us be ready.”

The Clippers’ game against the Grizzlies on April 12 will be the first game of a back-to-back situation, giving Rivers a ready-made excuse if he decides to sit a few of his best players.

No extra practice

Rivers has backed out of his plan to hold practices on what would normally be off days between games over the final stretch of the regular season.

The coach initially thought bulking up his team’s workload might help Blake Griffin find his rhythm before the playoffs after missing more than three months. On second thought, Rivers decided there weren’t enough days without games before the playoffs for it to make a difference.

The Clippers are hoping to start the playoffs April 17, which would give them the option of holding as many as three practices beforehand after they close the regular season at Phoenix on April 13.

Etc.

Paul Pierce sat out a fourth consecutive game because of ankle discomfort, but Rivers said the veteran forward would probably play Wednesday against the Lakers in what would be his final game against Kobe Bryant after meeting in the Finals in 2008 and 2010.

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