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Los Angeles • The Clippers' depleted bench could get a much-needed boost Tuesday. Guard Austin Rivers is expected to be suit up for Game 5 against the Jazz after being sidelined for nearly a month with a hamstring injury.
"I think he's going to play," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Monday at the team's practice facility.
Trainers plan to place a tight restriction on Austin Rivers' minutes for his first game back.
"Yesterday they were talking about 12 minutes and I'm thinking, 'I don't even know what that does,'" Doc Rivers said.
But if the guard can show further progress during the team's shootaround on Tuesday morning, the number could be closer to the 15-20 minute range.
When healthy, Austin Rivers has been one of L.A.'s top options off the bench, averaging 12 points and 2.8 assists per game, and a driving threat the Clippers have desperately lacked at times against the Jazz's defense. On Monday, however, Doc Rivers tempered expectations for the guard's return to duty.
"At least it's another warm body," he said. "I don't know what to expect. I would say if he gave us a couple good minutes, I'm good with that."
Split emotions
They pulled off the difficult task of stealing a playoff game on the road, despite losing their All-Star forward, and regained home-court advantage in their best-of-7 series with the Utah Jazz.
But as the Clippers returned home to L.A. following Sunday's 105-98 defeat in Salt Lake City, they couldn't help but feel disappointed to be tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5.
"We let that one slip away," point guard Chris Paul said. "… We came in here to get back home court and had an opportunity to get two [wins], but it is what it is and we gotta go back and protect home court."
Even without forward Blake Griffin, whose injured toe has knocked him out of the playoffs entirely, the Clippers looked to have control of things Sunday night. But up 87-80 midway through the fourth quarter, Jazz forward Joe Johnson shifted momentum in the game and, perhaps, the series.
"Overall, I liked how we played," coach Doc Rivers said. "I didn't like how we finished."
Low impact
Jazz center Rudy Gobert returned to the court Sunday for the first time since he bruised a bone and hyperextended his knee in the opening seconds of Game 1. But the Stifle Towers' return apparently did not shake up the Clippers game plan.
"Gobert's a great defender, but we've been really good with Gobert on the floor in the regular season," Doc Rivers said, adding that the Defensive Player of the Year candidate may have had a greater impact on the offensive end. Clippers guard Jamal Crawford also downplayed Gobert's role in the Jazz's win on Sunday, saying the center's return gave Utah "more of an emotional lift than anything."
Gobert finished the night with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots in 24 minutes on the court.
Making moves
When Griffin left Game 3 with an injured toe, the Clippers relied heavily on high pick-and-roll action with Paul and center DeAndre Jordan. Heading into the next game, Rivers said his offense would need to be more creative and less dependent upon the point guard Paul.
Paul finished the game with 12 assists, but Rivers was unhappy to see no other player on the team had more than two.
"We have to do a better job of moving the ball," Rivers said, "and we got stagnant down the stretch."
Twitter: @aaronfalk