Camby out for now as team beats Barcelona

The wait to see the Clippers’ Marcus Camby -- in a real-time game, that is -- will apparently be longer than previously expected.

Camby, plagued by a bruised right heel, on Sunday effectively ruled himself out for the remainder of the exhibition season. He was speaking at Staples Center after the Clippers defeated FC Barcelona, 114-109, their fourth victory in five exhibition games.

“They’re shutting me down, resting me,” Camby said. “Double treatments a day. . . . Hopefully, I can be all right opening night. That’s my goal.”

But what about that Friday exhibition game in Los Angeles he had circled against his former teammates from Denver, the guys who were sending him text messages, saying they missed him?

Uh, it still is the preseason, and Camby, after all, is pragmatic.

“We see them again the following week,” he said. “But I don’t think anyone will be playing in that [exhibition] game, probably for them either.”

Camby, who missed most of the first week of training camp because of flu, gave his heel a test run Friday at practice and it felt fine during the warmup session.

“As we got up and down playing, it just wasn’t right,” Camby said. “I felt I couldn’t do the things I was capable of going out there and doing. It’s better to be safe than sorry now.”

He admitted to a certain level of discomfort with the situation.

“It’s real frustrating,” Camby said. “Trying to get that continuity and familiarity playing with these guys and them playing with me.

“It’s a long, long season. I really can’t hang my head too low. I know I have a lot of catching up to do.

“I feel like once I’m out there on the court, it’ll just be like riding a bike again.”

He has plenty of company. Point guard Baron Davis, having missed the last four games, is due to see a hand specialist today, and his status for the remaining exhibition games remains murky.

Said Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy, on the rash of early injuries: “I do have a little bit of worry there.”

Tim Thomas (strained groin), injured in the exhibition opener against the Lakers, sat out Sunday. So did center Chris Kaman, who was nursing a sore right ankle.

Despite that, Kaman said he could have played, but Dunleavy, with an eye on the upcoming schedule, opted to rest him.

The starting lineup was center Brian Skinner, forwards Paul Davis and Al Thornton and guards Cuttino Mobley and Jason Hart. Hart and Mike Taylor split time at point guard almost evenly.

Thornton led with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Eric Gordon had 17 points. Veteran Ricky Davis added 16, which including four three-pointers, and Steve Novak had 15 points.

“I told our guys before the game it would be a good game for us from a learning standpoint,” Dunleavy said. “For us, it was good because we played it with all our young kids, sat our veterans a good part of the night.”

The kids (mostly) were all right.

Camby teased DeAndre Jordan about his free-throw shooting (0 for 6) and was impressed by Gordon’s ability to bring it late as he scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back three pointers.

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com