Injuries Have Fitch Playing What-If

Injuries have taken their toll on the Clippers, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games after a 6-4 start.

Guard Brent Barry sat out the first 14 games because of a thumb injury, center Stanley Roberts has been out six games because of a back injury, swingman Eric Piatkowski sat out seven games because of flu, guard Malik Sealy sat out two games because of an ankle injury and guard Pooh Richardson sat out Thursday night’s 97-94 victory over the San Antonio Spurs because of an ankle injury.

“Every team has injuries, but not not every team has the problems going that we have going,” Coach Bill Fitch said. “It magnifies when you look at the games we’ve been in and how many we would have won if we’d been healthy.

“It’s there and you’ve just got to play through it. But it’s early and like I keep telling the guys, I’ve seen teams get hot in the last 40 or 50 games and get it done [make the playoffs].”