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Donald Sterling controversy: Clippers will not practice today

Clippers players listen to the national anthem, wearing their warmup jerseys inside-out so the Clippers' team name could not be seen, before Game 4 Sunday.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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The Clippers are not practicing Monday on the off day between Games 4 and 5 of the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors.

But Clippers Coach Doc Rivers is having a conference call later today with reporters.

None of the Clippers players will be available.

Rivers probably just wants to talk about the best-of-seven series tied at 2-2 and getting ready to play Game 5 Tuesday night at Staples Center.

But he has spent the last two days talking about Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s alleged racist comments about African Americans, and probably will have to speak about it again.

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A voice reputed to be Sterling’s is heard in an audio recording released by TMZ on Friday night telling a female friend that he was upset she had posted a picture on Instagram of herself next to Lakers Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson. The person on the recording alleged to be Sterling said he didn’t want his friend to be associated with black people.

After losing Game 4 Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Rivers said he wasn’t sure how playing the next game at home would help his distracted players.

This will be the Clippers’ first game at Staples since the audio recording surfaced.

“We’re going home now,” Rivers said. “And usually that would mean we’re going to our safe haven. And I don’t even know if that’s true, to be honest.”

ALSO:

Clippers’ Donald Sterling in firestorm over alleged racist remarks

Racist remarks attributed to Donald Sterling ‘despicable,’ L.A. mayor says

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Bill Plaschke: It’s time for Donald Sterling to leave the building, and be kept out

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner

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