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Los Angeles • Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers doesn't expect his son Austin to return from his hamstring injury and save the series against the Jazz by himself.

But the elder Rivers knows Austin Rivers still holds a significant piece to the puzzle.

Without Rivers for the first four games of the series, the Clippers have lacked a second perimeter defender to complement Luc Mbah a Moute. The Clippers have sorely missed his perimeter scoring as well.

"Austin hasn't played in a while, so we can't expect too much from him, Rivers said before Tuesday's Game 5 at the Staples Center. "I don't know how much he can give us. But we've needed another body. Austin gives us another guard, another look to throw at the Jazz. He gives us another defender. That's what he does for us."

Rivers played in Game 5 for the first time in the series. It was his first action since a 133-124 win over the Washington Wizards in late March.

He played nine minutes in the first half, but looked a bit rusty. He went 0 of 3 from the floor and missed both of his 3-point attempts, while grabbing two rebounds and handing out an assist.

Doc Rivers' point of having the extra body to add to his playing rotation is an apt one. In Game 4, a 105-98 Jazz win at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Los Angeles guard Jamal Crawford picked up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter, with the Clippers holding a lead.

The elder Rivers looked down his bench. He had no viable options. That lack of an impact sub, Rivers said, contributed to the Jazz rallying for the series-tying victory.

"I looked at my roster, and there was nobody there to put in the game," Rivers said. "I literally didn't have another guard, and I think that hurt us."

Austin Rivers has enjoyed the best season of his career. He averaged 12 points per game before the injury, a career high. He played in a career-high 74 games and started 29 of them, also a career-best mark.

"He's become a really good player," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He's really dynamic. He's good for them."

Rotation change

Rivers started Game 5 with two big men, Marreese Speights and DeAndre Jordan. So he used veteran Brandon Bass off the bench for the first time in the series. Bass, an athletic but undersized forward, played four first-half minutes, scoring a basket and grabbing one rebound.

Dominant again

His performance was a bit muted in Game 4 by Rudy Gobert's presence, but Jordan played well in the first half Tuesday, scoring seven points and grabbing nine rebounds.

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