Cassell isn’t expected to play today

Veteran point guard Sam Cassell is doubtful for today’s game against the Indiana Pacers, and his strained left calf might cause him to sit out the next couple of games.

Cassell, who suffered the injury during the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets, originally targeted today for his return.

In the team’s first game against the Pacers on Nov. 7, Cassell scored 35 points, the highest tally of any Clipper this season.

Coach Mike Dunleavy said the team missed Cassell during Friday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

“Sam can make a difference in any game,” he said. “Obviously, offensively he has the capability of putting points on the board when you need them and being able to run a team. He always has a chance to be a big part of the influence no matter who you play.”

Until Cassell returns, Brevin Knight and Dan Dickau will continue sharing the point guard duties.

Knight scored 13 points on five-for-11 shooting and had five assists in 35 minutes against the Nuggets. Dickau made a three-point basket and had five assists in 13 minutes.

Dickau, in his sixth season, said such opportunities were the main reason he signed with the Clippers shortly after training camp started.

“When it looked like I was going to get out of New York and go somewhere, this was the place I wanted to be,” he said.

“Sam and Brevin can play at a high level, but both have a history of not playing in 82 games.”

The Clippers play a relatively mild schedule against struggling teams to open December, but Dunleavy isn’t counting the games as wins.

After playing the Pacers, the Clippers finish the week by playing host to the Milwaukee Bucks and traveling to play the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings.

None of those teams has a winning record.

“You can look at certain opponents and say that some will be harder to win, but in our condition there’s not a game on our schedule you can point out and say that’s a win for us,” Dunleavy said.

--

TODAY

vs. Indiana, 12:30 p.m.

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Clippers 6-8, Pacers 8-9.

Record vs. Pacers -- 1-0.

Update -- The Clippers beat the Pacers, 104-89, in Indianapolis on Nov. 7. The win was the last of four straight by the Clippers to start the season before they began their current 2-8 slide.

--

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com