Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 100-93 victory over Miami

The Clippers continue to thrive on the road, a 100-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday at American Airlines Arena giving them a second win in as many games on their final trip before the All-Star break. Here are five takeaways from the game:

1. The Clippers won’t be Austin-powered for a while. Reserve guard Austin Rivers said he broke his left hand Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves after sustaining contact on a driving layup. Rivers complained to referees, earning two quick technical fouls and an ejection. Video footage of the play shows that Rivers did not flinch or favor his hand immediately after the play. Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said his son would be sidelined four to six weeks, though a more definitive timetable might be established after Austin Rivers returned to Los Angeles to see a hand specialist Monday. The Clippers have won both games since Austin Rivers has been out, but it remained unclear whether they would seek to bolster their depth by adding another guard.

2. The Blake Griffin suspension announcement appears imminent. A person close to the situation said the NBA is expected to make public its punishment of the All-Star power forward before the All-Star break, providing some closure to the uncertainty regarding how long Griffin will be out once his broken right hand has healed. Griffin suffered the injury while punching team assistant equipment manager Matias Testi on Jan. 23 in Toronto and is expected to be sidelined by the wound well into March.

3. Chris Paul continues to play at a MVP-worthy level. He had about as bad of a start as possible against the Heat, missing his first nine shots, before coming on strong. He was particularly effective late in the game, making two three-pointers and throwing a lob to DeAndre Jordan for a dunk in the final four minutes to stymie the Heat’s rally. Paul finished with 22 points on eight-for-23 shooting. “Luckily and unfortunately, that’s not my first time missing a bunch of shots like that early,” Paul said. “I sort of knew that if I just kept shooting, it may change.”

4. The Clippers’ bench continues to shine. Jamal Crawford scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a key three-pointer in the quarter, and Wesley Johnson and Lance Stephenson combined for 19 points on eight-for-10 shooting. Then there was Cole Aldrich, who grabbed 11 rebounds in only 13 minutes. Crawford has scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games, giving the starters a huge boost at a time when Griffin has been out. “We just keep on keeping on,” Aldrich said. “The big thing is for us, whoever we have out there, we’ve just got to find a way to win and once the playoffs come, that’s going to help us.”

5. Philadelphia could be the ultimate trap game. The Clippers have been excellent on the road lately, winning 11 of their last 13 games. But the 76ers are playing much better recently and are coming off a five-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets. If the Clippers need a reminder of what can happen if they don’t play well against a bad team, maybe they should watch video of their recent loss to Minnesota.

Twitter: @latbbolch