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Spencer Hawes says Clippers did plenty of running Thursday

Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes, left, drives to the basket past Clippers forward Spencer Hawes during a preseason game Tuesday.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Doc Rivers wasn’t happy with the Clippers after watching them lose to the Golden State Warriors in their first exhibition Tuesday. He thought they looked sloppy, out of shape.

So on Thursday, the coach decided to do something he usually avoids -- make the players run lines.

“I think it kind of hearkened back to the college days a little bit,” Spencer Hawes said. “It was good for us. It was good to get in and kind of push ourselves as a team.”

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Hawes said that overall he thinks the team is in pretty good shape. The 7-footer, who is known for his unusual passing skills for a man his size, added that he has another rather surprising skill.

“I can run,” he said. “I think I can run pretty well.”

Hawes, 26, is coming off a season in which he compiled career highs in every major statistical category, averaging 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists while making 41.6% of his three-pointers for Philadelphia and Cleveland.

He sees himself as getting a lot of minutes backing up DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Off the court, he said, he already feels very comfortable with the players.

“Personality-wise, it’s an easy group to get assimilated with,” he said. “I’m trying to get to know everybody on and off the court, and I think they’re doing the same. For such a tight-knit group, it’s not always the case where it’s easy for someone to come in and do that and I think that’s kind of unique about here.”

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