Austin Rivers will be out Tuesday night for the LA Clippers’ second preseason game against the Toronto Raptors.
Austin Rivers will sit out Tuesday night for the LA Clippers’ game against the Toronto Raptors. According to Brad Turner of the LA Times, Rivers is suffering from a strained right glut.
Austin Rivers out tomorrow with strained right glut
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) October 3, 2017
This doesn’t seem to be a big issue, but with preseason just starting, it is in the best interest of the team to keep him out of the game. Rivers was a member of the starting unit Sunday against the Raptors and figures to have that spot going forward.
The good news is that the injury is most likely just a nagging one, so he should be ready to go for the regular season. This injury will also allow head coach Doc Rivers to get longer looks at other guards, including Milos Teodosic, who impressed fans and players with his eight assists in the first game.
Austin did have one embarrassing play, which has sort of become his signature move. He seemed to be going for a euro step on the fast break, when he stumbled and just chucked the ball towards the hoop. This did happen in the 4th quarter and the awkward movement could have been what injured him.
Next: Ten takeaways from the Clippers' first preseason game
Overall, Austin had a mediocre performance against the Raptors on Sunday. His shooting was off as he only made three of his twelve shots from the field. This obviously wasn’t the offensive outing he wanted. Defensively, however, he looked solid. Austin managed to snag four steals in his team high 29 minutes. Hopefully the young guard can get back on the floor soon and continue to make strides forward.