Thornton continues to grow on court

For all that has gone wrong for the Clippers -- and there has been a lot -- rookie forward Al Thornton continues to shine.

His latest effort -- 24 points and career highs in rebounds (13), minutes (45) and made free throws (12) in Wednesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors -- boosted his season average to 12.0 points.

That’s good for a rookie year and more impressive considering he was not taken until the 14th pick. But his growth shows even more when his numbers are dissected.

He averaged 6.3 points in November. The next month, he added two more to his average and nearly five more on top of that in January. In February, he scored 17.4 points a game.

This month, limited by a bruised right leg, his average is down to 13.9 points. His season average is second among all rookies, trailing only the Seattle SuperSonics’ Kevin Durant’s 19.5 points.

He is emerging as a dark-horse rookie-of-the-year candidate and his presence will soften the blow at small forward if leading scorer Corey Maggette leaves via free agency this summer.

“I think the main thing is that I am feeling good out there,” Thornton said. “I am able to slow down and read plays. I’m not in as big of a rush as I was in the early part of the year. My teammates trust me and Coach [Mike Dunleavy] puts me in good situations.”

There are aspects of his game that still need fine tuning.

His passing and average of one assist a game are eyesores and he occasionally picks up quick fouls. Still, Dunleavy is ready to declare Thornton the steal in last year’s draft.

As Thornton sees opposing defenses multiple times, Dunleavy said he expects him to become even more comfortable on the court.

“He’s got a lot to learn,” Dunleavy said. “He’s doing like he should. A notch here. Down a little bit. A notch here. He’s growing. He’s growing all the time. He’s an explosive scorer. When he’s going good, he’s a tough guy to stop for anybody.”

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Point guard Brevin Knight’s stress reaction in his left leg that bothered him earlier this season flared up, causing him to miss Wednesday’s game. He is a game-time decision tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers.

TONIGHT

at Portland, 7, FSN Prime

Site -- Rose Garden.

Radio -- 710.

Records -- Clippers 21-46, Trail Blazers 35-33.

Record vs. Trail Blazers -- 0-1.

Update -- The Clippers start a home-and-home series against the Trail Blazers, who have split their last 10 games, watching their dim playoff hopes fade. They beat the Clippers, 82-80, on Feb. 27 in the teams’ first meeting. Corey Maggette scored a game-high 32 points, but missed a potential go-ahead basket late in the game.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com