Blake Griffin sits out Clippers' loss in Brooklyn to rest

NEW YORK -- LA Clippers leading scorer Blake Griffin sat out his first game of the season, Tuesday night's 127-122 double-overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets, to rest.

Coach Doc Rivers said the Clippers had identified the game in Brooklyn long ago as one Griffin would miss. It gives him a couple of extra days off before Los Angeles visits the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

The Clippers have increased their spending on biometrics this season, and Rivers was asked whether he relied on that to determine Griffin would sit.

"I clearly didn't; I'm not smart enough to use biometrics," Rivers said. "But the people we hired did, and they told me biometrically that this would be a good day for him to rest."

Paul Pierce, who had appeared in just two games this season, started in place of Griffin, who averages 21.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Pierce, 39, finished with five points, three rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes. He had played just 17 minutes all season, and Tuesday night was such an increase in workload that Chris Paul mimicked giving him CPR on the court at one point.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.