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Josh Smith (coach's decision) didn't see the court in Monday's 100-99 loss to the Thunder.

Smith (coach's decision) didn't see the court in Monday's 100-99 loss to the Thunder.

Analysis:

Even though the game was tightly contested throughout, Smith has typically found himself in the rotation under such circumstances, but coach Doc Rivers opted to go in a different direction Monday. The writing was on the wall after Smith saw just six minutes in the Clippers' previous game against the Rockets on Saturday, but he dropped off the grid entirely Monday, with Rivers turning to Cole Aldrich (14 minutes) for frontcourt assistance. Aldrich fared well in the outing, so it's possible he could continue to rank ahead of Smith in the pecking order over the next few contests.

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