LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 9, 2020

Doc Rivers

Postgame Press Conference

Nets 129, Clippers 120

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Doc.

Q. You guys have been sort of up and down during the bubble, good play in spurts. Is that dangerous entering the Playoffs when you're not playing your best basketball for 48 minutes?

DOC RIVERS: Well, hopefully we won't play up and down in the Playoffs. We definitely have been so far. We have one inspired game, then we don't.

Give Brooklyn credit. I thought they attacked us. They were clearly the team that had the right approach at the beginning of the game. I thought we joined the game a little bit. When you spot someone 20 points, it's hard to come back from that.

Q. Anything new on Trez? Expecting him back this week? Do you think you might have him for the last seeding game before the Playoffs?

DOC RIVERS: We don't give out information on that. We hope so. That's all I can say.

Q. You guys have really struggled getting out to shooters here. Is that anything schematic? What are you seeing?

DOC RIVERS: What I see is you keep getting beat off the dribble. I thought they lived in the paint. Whenever you see a team in the paint, it increases three. We have to do a better job of controlling the dribble.

Q. Is Reggie okay? Did he get dinged up tonight? Also, Kawhi obviously didn't seem limited at all, really tried to will you guys back into it.

DOC RIVERS: Kawhi was fresh. I mean, he felt great. Reggie, I know he tweaked his ankle. I don't think it was bad, but I don't know, to be honest.

Q. What do you think about the level of your team so far going into the Playoffs? Are you satisfied?

DOC RIVERS: I think we've been inconsistent. We've had a lot of guys in and out. Obviously not the way you would plan on heading into the Playoffs. But it is what it is. We just have to make the best of it.

We're hoping by Playoff time we have our entire roster in the same state, that would be nice. Hopefully we can find some kind of rhythm because right now we've been very inconsistent.

Q. Terance Mann, is he a rookie now or is this his second year?

DOC RIVERS: He's probably still a rookie because he didn't play a lot of games. I think a lot of the rookies, like Morant and those guys, have been playing all year, then took a break. When they came back, I guess they still qualify as a rookie, but they're on their second year as far as maturity.

Terance hasn't played a lot with us this year, but he played great tonight. He played a great game the other night. Just very happy for him.

We're asking him to do a big job going from a two and a three guy in college to a point guard in the pros. It's a big ask, but he's doing it.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Doc.

DOC RIVERS: Thanks, guys.