Gordon tries to avoid the wall

The much-talked about NBA rookie wall has been more like a speed bump for the Clippers’ Eric Gordon.

One of those disruptive moments, however, came Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets. Gordon was one for 10 from the field and finished with seven points in 35-plus minutes. He said he was tired and described his play as “awful.”

He has a way of getting those games out of his system -- and quickly. Gordon put it behind him in less than 24 hours with an especially strong showing against the Lakers, scoring 24 points, adding eight rebounds and four assists.

Gordon had to contend with Kobe Bryant on the game’s final play, trying to get open for the three-pointer with the Clippers trailing, 88-85.

“It was like we didn’t play basketball at the end,” said an incredulous Gordon. “It was like WWF or something. Wrestling.

“That whole team, they play physical. I don’t know what to say about it. I just couldn’t believe what was happening -- before the play even started, grabbing. It was crazy.”

Said Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy: “It’s not easy when you’ve got Kobe, hand-to-hand combat. It’s just part of the process.”

Dunleavy had been asked before the game whether Gordon was hitting that weary point.

“All year long, people talk about rookie walls and I’ve heard along the way with a lot of these other guys, they’ve hit stretches,” he said.

“He really didn’t have any of these stretches. But like anybody else he can have a series of games where that happens. But night in, night out, he’s done a good job defensively for us.”

Etc.

The injury-riddled Clippers featured this starting lineup against the Lakers: Baron Davis, Gordon, Brian Skinner, Fred Jones and Zach Randolph, same as it was against the Nuggets on Saturday.

Al Thornton (bone bruise/left foot) didn’t make the trip to Denver and was called a game-time decision. He came off the bench in the first quarter against the Lakers and went on to play 21-plus minutes, scoring three points.

Chris Kaman missed both games because of the flu, and finally the Clippers caught a break, more or less, when Kaman didn’t get on the plane to go to Denver on Friday.

“He went and saw the doctor before we left on the trip, and said he was contagious, don’t go,” Dunleavy said. “That would have been the last and final [thing], get everybody on the whole plane sick.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com