Clips' Jamal Crawford back vs. Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- Jamal Crawford returned for his first game in more than a month in the Clippers' 105-100 win over the Lakers on Tuesday, scoring four points in 19 minutes.

"I was rusty," Crawford said. "I looked and it said I played 19 minutes but it felt like 35 minutes. That's to be expected. That's my first time playing 5-on-5. I just started running this past week. That's what these games are for. I'm a big-picture guy."

Crawford had been sidelined since March 2 with a right calf contusion.

"He played all right," coach Doc Rivers said of Crawford's return. "He was rusty a little bit but that was good. We're just happy to have him back because he has time to get his rhythm going."

The Clippers had gone 12-5 in Crawford's absence.

"My calf is fine. My health is fine," Crawford said before the game. "I'm not worried about that at all. When I'm working out I'm thinking about the rest of my body because for me it feels like the fourth day of training camp when your whole body is sore when you're getting reacclimated. I'm fine. My calf is the only thing that's not sore."

He was averaging 16.4 points entering the game and is one of the leading candidates to win his third Sixth Man of the Year award.

Crawford ranks first in the league in bench scoring and was first in the league in fourth-quarter points prior to the injury.

"You have to be ready for the playoffs," Crawford said. "These games I won't get too high or too low if I have good performances or not. I'm thinking big picture."

The Clippers' second unit had struggled without Crawford against playoff teams, losing double-digit leads in their only two losses since March 14, to Golden State and Houston.

Crawford said it was "very key" for his return to come before the playoffs.

"That was part of my decision," he said. "Do I feel like I'm in rhythm and my timing is there and I'm in tip-top shape? No, not at all. But I don't have that luxury right now. I have to try to get it back as best as I can in games."