LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers says his team is taking time to focus on self-improvement before preparing to face the Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz.
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00:00 The LA Clippers have officially moved on to the second round of the playoffs and now all eyes are set on Tuesday night's game 7
00:06 Between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz as the winner of that matchup will be LA's opponent in the conference semifinals
00:12 But as far as the Clippers are concerned preparing for either Denver or Utah is not at the top of the agenda
00:17 At least not today's
00:19 Instead coach Doc Rivers says LA is taking the day to focus on self-improvement rather than worrying about who they'll see later this week
00:26 Saying quote the books just very good teams both really obviously really good players and very well coached
00:32 I'm not going to get let myself go there yet because we can fix our own stuff now for at least today
00:37 We just work on the Clippers and then get to ever play tomorrow
00:40 Rivers has the right idea here as important as it is to prep for the coming series
00:45 There'll be plenty of time for that
00:46 What's most crucial right now is working on the Kings that showed themselves in LA's first round series with the Dallas Mavericks
00:52 For example the bench is defense the rivers consistently played with Jackson Lou Williams and Montrezl Harold together
00:59 That lineup was torn up by the Dallas Mavericks
01:02 It's partially by necessity as Patrick Beverly missed most of that series the calf injury
01:06 But eliminating that lineup and others that are typically weak on the defensive end will do a lot for this group moving forward in the playoffs
01:12 Beverly is likely a big focus right now as well
01:15 He's pressing toward a return to the end of LA's first round series
01:19 And this extended period of time to the end of that matchup the start of the next will only do him some good
01:23 If he's going to come back on Thursday, it's probably gonna get substantial run and practice today as for Denver and Utah
01:29 Curious Clippers fans can tune in to the Knights game 7 at 8 30 p.m. Eastern Time
01:34 It's been an extremely competitive series thus far and this final contest should be no different
01:39 (sniffles)