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Rivers' career-high 32 not enough as Thunder edge shorthanded Clippers

Mark D. Smith / USA TODAY Sports

With Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and J.J. Redick all sitting out to rest, the Oklahoma City Thunder likely expected Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers to be a walk in the park.

They didn't count on Austin Rivers.

There's good reason for that. Rivers came in averaging just 8.4 points and 1.3 assists, with a 30.8-percent shooting mark from beyond the arc and a 10.3 PER. He's not the sort of player you gameplan for.

And yet, Doc's son was slotted into the starting point guard spot in Paul's place, and put the team on his back. He splashed 3-ball after 3-ball, as the undermanned Clippers took an unexpected first-half lead that they'd more or less hold onto until the game's final minute.

Rivers came up shooting off screens, which Thunder guards seemed plenty comfortable ducking under until he canned his first six attempts from deep. When they started playing him tighter, Rivers snaked into the lane with vexing hesitation dribbles before before busting out the teardrop.

All told, he shot 12-of-19 from the field and 7-of-9 from beyond the arc for a career-high 32 points, and it was almost enough.

The Clippers led by as many as nine points in the second half, and still clung to a five-point lead with five minutes left in regulation. Their offense dried up late, though; they'd manage just two points the rest of the way (courtesy of Rivers), and the Thunder would take the lead late on Steven Adams' clutch tip-back.

The Clippers rewarded Rivers for his efforts by putting the ball in his hands for their final possession, and though he did well to get himself within spitting distance of the rim, the look he got - with Andre Roberson draped all over him - was too difficult even for he, Austin Rivers, to convert.

Russell Westbrook secured the win by snaring the mammoth rebound off Rivers' miss, and then chucking the ball 100 feet in the air off the Thunder's ensuing inbounds with three seconds to play.

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