It’s father-son night at Staples

Doc Rivers likes to give a pep talk to his son Austin before their teams play each other.

“Well, I tell him to turn it over, to foul,” the elder Rivers joked Wednesday evening.

There’s also a preferred moment for the Clippers coach to deliver his message to the second-year guard for the New Orleans Pelicans.

“I tried to time my call right when I thought he was sleeping to wake him up,” Doc said.

All kidding aside, the matchup produces more cringe-worthy moments for the father than the son.

“It’s kind of weird for him to scout me,” Austin said before the Pelicans played the Clippers at Staples Center, “because he has to tell people what I don’t do well and I do well. For me, it’s one way: I want to beat him. He knows that.”

Said Doc: “It’s just a strange thing. When he’s on the floor, he’s your son. but you want to beat him.”

The son got the best of the father in their first meeting last season when the team then known as the Hornets defeated Rivers’ Boston Celtics. They did not face each other a second time because Austin was sidelined by a broken hand.

They’ll have to play each other four times a season now that Doc has moved into the Western Conference.

“Last year, it was nerve-racking and I was really nervous and once I played it felt good and I got past it,” said Austin. “Now, it’s just, whatever. I’m worried about the Clippers, not my dad. I don’t even think about it anymore.”

Father and son were tentatively scheduled to share a meal after the game, depending on the outcome.

“If we lose,” Austin said, “I’m not going out to dinner with him. And if I do go to dinner, he has to pay for everything. That’s the way it’s going to work.”

Eyeing a return

Matt Barnes was back on the practice court for the Clippers’ shoot-around Wednesday, along with a new set of goggles and a flurry of nicknames.

“They’ve been all over the place,” the Clippers small forward said, “from Eric Dickerson to James Worthy.”

Nothing his teammates said could sink the spirits of Barnes, who was thrilled to be walking through plays after missing a month to have three surgeries to repair a damaged left retina.

Rivers was cleared to play but was held out of the Clippers’ game against the Pelicans. Rivers said he wanted Barnes to participate in the team’s back-to-back practices Thursday and Friday before returning Saturday against Denver.

Barnes was not enamored with his new eyewear, which more closely resembles the glasses worn by the New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire than the goggles sported by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“I hate them,” Barnes said. “I just don’t like anything on my face, so it will be something to work through, but anything to get back on the court.”

How long will Barnes have to wear them?

“They said a couple of weeks,” he said, “so we’ll see if they make it through the first game.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch