Clippers May Be Forced to Give Up Their Advantage : NBA playoffs: League switches Game 4 against Jazz to Saturday. Alternate sites are investigated, including Salt Lake City.

The Clippers were hoping for the best and preparing for the worst after Game 4 of their first-round series against the Utah Jazz, scheduled for Thursday night at the Sports Arena, was postponed until Saturday.

Team officials had contacted UCLA about the possible use of Pauley Pavilion and also were considering Long Beach Arena in case an emergency venue switch was necessary. But Andrew Roeser, the Clippers’ executive vice president for business operations, said that all indications are that the game will remain at the Sports Arena. The time will be determined today.

“Based on the information we have, we think we will be able to play the game,” Roeser said. “But we’re watching the developments closely.”

Jazz management offered to hold Game 4 in Salt Lake City if problems continue in Los Angeles. Game 5, if necessary, will be there, but it has been delayed until Sunday night.

“But we have not had any discussion with the Clippers on that,” Utah General Manager R. Tim Howells said of a possible shift in sites. “That was certainly one of the options, and, frankly, one that is still open. I think that’s unlikely, because home-court advantage is important to any team. I would say if I were the Clippers, I’d be better off playing (at a) neutral site with nobody in the arena than in Salt Lake City.”

Howells said that if the game were moved back to the Delta Center, where Utah had the NBA’s best home record this season, the Jazz could provide financial guarantees based on Game 3 earnings so that the Clippers would at least make the money they would normally make on a home game.

“We’re not looking to take any advantage of the Clippers, economically or any other way,” Howells said. “If, in fact, the situation here is that out of hand that it’s bad enough we could not play in Los Angeles or any area of Southern California, we would be more than happy to work out something that will be financially equitable for everyone.”

Any decision of that magnitude would come from Commissioner David Stern. But input from the Clippers, who stand to lose the most if a move is made, and the Jazz certainly would be considered.

Clipper offices were closed Thursday. The Jazz, staying in Marina del Rey, went to Inglewood High as scheduled and practiced for about an hour without incident. Three school security officials locked the doors after players, coaches, staff and journalists from Salt Lake City entered. Coach Jerry Sloan suspended his rule of closed practices so that reporters would not have to wait outside.

Players smelled smoke around the school. When they were running light drills and heard sirens go by outside, everyone stopped briefly. But the Jazz, after considering a return to Salt Lake City before Game 4, decided to stay in the area until Saturday night, when the team will fly home.

“We talked about it but just did not feel it was the right thing to do,” Sloan said. “We’re here and didn’t want to have to go home and then almost turn right around and come back.”

Stern attended Wednesday’s Laker-Portland game at the Forum and was scheduled to be at Game 4 of the Clipper-Utah series. But when that was postponed Thursday morning, he took a flight home and was expected at the New Jersey-Cleveland game at East Rutherford, N.J.

Clipper officials were still working out ticket refund policies Thursday afternoon. Tickets for Thursday will be honored Saturday, or there will be refunds for all tickets marked A-2--for Series A, Home Game 2--bought individually, Roeser said. He was not certain whether there would be refunds on playoff strips from season ticket packages.

Roeser would not speculate about what would happen if the game were moved to a smaller arena, creating a possible overflow situation. “It’s premature to consider those types of alternatives,” he said.

The decision to reschedule the game with the Jazz leading the series, 2-1, came from the NBA office, not the Clippers.

Said Brian McIntyre, the league’s vice president of public relations: “We consulted with Mayor Tom Bradley’s office and other government agencies. It was unanimously decided it would be best for all concerned if game was postponed until Saturday afternoon.”