When the Hawks ruled out three of their five starters against the Lakers, they probably expected a hard-fought matchup that would take some late-game heroics if

Rivers' arrival was already a declaration of war. The 2008 champion coach stirred the pot right before the 2013-14 season by initiating a move that upset Lakers fans and players. Rivers, who also served as the team's general manager, covered the Purple and Gold's championship banners and retired jerseys during Clippers home games.

Not lost in the Clippers’ current muddle of defensive breakdowns and missed offensive opportunities is the play of second-year guard Cam Christie.

The Suns (4-5) have split the first two games against the Clippers (3-5), losing the first one, 129-102, last month in Inglewood and winning the rematch, 115-102, Nov. 6 in Jalen Green’s debut with his new team.

The Phoenix Suns received some disappointing injury news on guard Jalen Green after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday.

In the final stretch of the game, San Diego had a 10-5 run taking the lead and the win against the Kings. Notably, the Stockton Kings are the reigning NBA G League Champions. For the Clippers to get a season opening win on Stockton's home floor against the defending champs could very well set the tone for their season.

Kawhi Leonard will miss "the next few games" due to a sprained ankle but the injury doesn't seem serious, according to coach Tyronn Lue.

Paul and Bogdanovic have both been playing very poorly to start the season, and cutting them from the rotation may seem like a reasonable move. However, especially with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, the Clippers can't afford not to play Paul as the team's offensive limitations were very evident on Saturday.