Clippers say Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison will play Saturday
The Clippers are starting to become whole again.
The team has been short-handed for weeks in the backcourt, but guards Jamal Crawford, Darren Collison and even J.J. Redick practiced with the Clippers on Thursday.
After practice, the Clippers said Collison and Crawford will both play Saturday when they face the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center, but Redick is still not close to returning.
Collison missed the last two games with a stomach virus.
Crawford, who has been out for five consecutive games and eight of the last nine with a strained left calf, will practice again Friday, giving him another day to get ready.
"I want to go through a couple of practices," Crawford said. "I went through a workout [Wednesday] and I felt pretty good, didn't have any legs and I was tired. But the calf, I didn't feel much at all."
Before practice Thursday, Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he wants to be cautious with Crawford.
"He's close enough that he'll be playing soon," Rivers said.
Redick has not played since Feb. 3 and has missed 18 games with a bulging disk in his back.
But he went through practice Thursday and the Clippers said Redick will be re-evaluated Friday and the hope is that he can practice again.
"Listen, if J.J. comes back tomorrow, we're good," Rivers said. "If J.J. comes back in three weeks, we're good. If J.J. comes back in eight weeks [during the playoffs] and we're still alive, we're good. So I don't think there is a timetable."
Time off
Rest. Relax. And get healthy. That's what having Tuesday and Wednesday off meant for the Clippers.
The Clippers were a tired-looking team Monday night in Denver, when they lost for the first time in 12 games.
The break helped Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who has been dealing with a tight back in recent games.
"My back feels a lot better," he said.
Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan are the only Clippers who have played in all 69 regular season games.
"When you feel like you're playing every other day, it wears on you a little bit obviously, mentally," Griffin said. "We had two days completely off.… We've got to have a good practice today and tomorrow and get back into that rhythm."
Twitter: @BA_Turner
Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times