Blake Griffin gets a rest, but it’s not his idea

Clippers' Blake Griffin (32) and the bench look on against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half on Tuesday.

Staff Writer

Nov. 29, 2016 10:55 PM PT

Reporting from New York — Way back in August, when the NBA first released its 82-game schedules, Clippers Coach Doc Rivers and his assistants and the personnel in charge of biometrics had already decided to rest some of their players during the season.

For Blake Griffin, that moment came Tuesday night, when Rivers gave the forward the night off as the team played the Brooklyn Nets.

Griffin said the Clippers showed him all the science on why he should sit out the game. So he decided not to argue when he talked to the group Monday afternoon in Rivers’ hotel room.

“After a little bit, I just said, ‘If this is what you think is best for the team,’ I’m going to do it,” Griffin said. “I definitely presented my case. I wasn’t as well prepared as I would have liked to be.”

Rivers said the injured right calf that slowed Griffin down somewhat against Indiana on Sunday was not a factor in sitting his All-Star. Griffin suffered the injury against Detroit last week.

The Clippers are in the middle of a six-game trip and have two more stops left, in Cleveland on Thursday night and New Orleans on Friday night.

Rivers probably will sit at least another of his starters before the Clippers return home, probably deciding among Chris Paul, J.J. Red-ick and DeAndre Jordan.

“It’s frustrating,” Griffin said after the Clippers’ loss to the Nets. “I was frustrated before the game — especially now, it’s even worse. But if this is what our staff and our coaching staff and our training staff feels is best, then we as players have to do that.”

Griffin expects to play at Cleveland.

For Pierce, a final game in Brooklyn

Though it’s nothing like his run with Boston, where Paul Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career and won an NBA title in 2008, he does have a history with the Nets.

Pierce, who started his first game of the season in place of Griffin, played one season for Brooklyn, in 2013-14.

Since he’s retiring at the end of this season, his 19th, Pierce relished his final game in Barclays Center. Pierce had five points.

“I’m looking at every arena where I’m not going to come back as a special place,” he said.

“Obviously, I’ve got some history here from playing here. But every arena that I go to walk into for the last time, especially on this East Coast trip, it brings back memories. It’s a special feeling.”

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