Clippers find success with three-guard lineup against Wizards

Finally, the Clippers were about to use a three-guard alignment with reserve guards against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he “had been waiting to do it,” but couldn’t while Austin Rivers missed three games with a sprained right ankle.

But on Monday night, Doc Rivers was able to play his son with guards Jamal Crawford and Pablo Prigioni.

And it worked.

“The reason we get away with it is because Austin can guard the one, two or the three,” Doc Rivers said after the 108-91 win over Washington. “We just put him on them and then we put Pablo on the second-best guy and put Jamal on the third guy. And so it works for us.”

When the coach first used the three-guard lineup in the first quarter, Crawford first checked in the Wizards game for guard J.J. Redick, Rivers for forward Luc Mbah a Moute and Prigioni for point guard Chris Paul.

Crawford provided the offense, Rivers the defense and Prigioni ran the offense. They were able to help the Clippers extend their lead to as much as 15 points in the first.

“It opens the court and gives us so much more space,” Crawford said after the game in Washington. “When you do that, you have different guys attacking. They attack on the close-outs. It just opens the whole floor.”

Twitter: @BA_Turner