<p>DENVER &mdash; The Denver Nuggets bolstered their injury-depleted backcourt by signing veteran guard Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract Tuesday.</p>
<p>Rivers is expected to be available when the Nuggets visit Portland on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>He brings size and shooting to Denver’s backcourt, along with plenty of playoff experience — 45 games with the Clippers and Rockets. He is eligible for Denver’s playoff roster because he wasn’t on an NBA roster after April 9.</p>
<p>Rivers appeared in 21 games this season with the New York Knicks before being traded and then waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p>
<p>The Nuggets lost star Jamal Murray to a torn left ACL last week and Monte Morris injured his left hamstring Friday night, just two weeks after returning from a left thigh injury that sidelined him for 11 games.</p>
<p>Coach Michael Malone said before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-memphis-grizzlies-dillon-brooks-monte-morris-denver-nuggets-3e0073c7b81f1b7b33af3792384e2fac">Denver’s double-overtime win over Memphis </a> on Monday night that Morris will miss multiple games.</p>
<p>Rivers, 28, is a nine-year NBA veteran who has career averages of 9.1 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds. He has played for the Pelicans, Clippers, Wizards, Rockets and Knicks.</p>
<p>He has averaged 7.4 points, 2.2 boards and 1.3 assists in 45 career playoff games. </p>
<p>Rivers was the 10th overall draft pick in 2012 by New Orleans after leading Duke with a 15.5-point scoring average in his one season with the Blue Devils.</p>
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