Heat Hampers Austin’s Progress

Center Isaac Austin, acquired by the Clippers from the Miami Heat on Thursday along with guard Charles Smith and a first-round draft choice for guard Brent Barry, is expected to play tonight. But he won’t start.

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch had hoped to give the 6-foot-10 Austin a crash course on the game plan at practice Friday, but Austin had to do all his learning from the sidelines.

That’s because while Austin and Smith passed their physicals Friday morning, the results of a Barry physical, which he passed, weren’t relayed to the Clipper office from Miami until late Friday afternoon, long after practice had ended.

And until Barry was declared fit to be a member of the Heat, the trade wasn’t official.

Fitch said the Clippers will make every effort to re-sign Austin, a free agent at season’s end. But even if they don’t, at least the team got a draft choice out of the deal.

Said Fitch, “They can’t take that away from you.”

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Also coming off the bench tonight will be forward Rodney Rogers, the Clippers’ leading scorer with a 15.3 average.

Fitch will be cautious with Rogers, out the last week because of a sprained ankle, until he sees how the ankle responds.

TONIGHT

Los Angeles vs. Charlotte

* 7:30

* Fox Sports

West 2

Site--Sports Arena.

Radio--KEZY-FM (95.9), LITE-FM (92.7).

Records--Clippers 11-42, Hornets 30-23 .

Record vs. Hornets--0-1.

Update--The Clippers have dropped five in a row and have lost a division-high 19 games at home in 26 outings. This is the fourth game of a six-game trip for Charlotte. In their only other meeting this season, the Hornets beat the Clippers, 130-96, at the Charlotte Coliseum. Glen Rice scored 36 points in that game for the Hornets, including 18 in the first quarter.