Short-Handed Status Seems to Increase the Teamwork

Maybe the Clippers should play the rest of the season short-handed because, when they do, they surely play more as a team.

For the last two games, the Clippers have been without shooting guard Derek Anderson and backup big man Brian Skinner because of injuries and if not for a couple of questionable calls at Vancouver, the team would have a two-game winning streak.

It’s the second time this season that the Clippers have been without key players and have played better basketball. When power forward Maurice Taylor and Anderson were sidelined last month, the Clippers seemed to play harder and that has been the case again.

“I don’t know if we really play better when we are short-handed,” said point guard Troy Hudson, who has been more consistent over the last five games. “But whenever you’re short-handed, you do have to come together even tighter. What we’re doing is what teams have to do when guys are down.”

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Lost in the Clippers’ one-point defeat at Vancouver on Sunday was Taylor’s performance. It was questionable up to game time whether he would play because of flu but he did a decent job guarding the Grizzlies’ Shareef Abdur-Rahim and finished with 20 points, 17 in the second half. He also had four rebounds and blocked three shots.

“Mo Taylor played his heart out,” Coach Chris Ford said. “He’s been sick and came out and gave it his all.”

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Rookie Lamar Odom continues to grow into more of a leader. With Anderson, the team’s leading scorer when he was sidelined because of an ankle sprain, not in the lineup, Odom, 20, understands he has to step up his scoring.

“We all are trying to play the team game and it’s just been my time to score,” Odom said. “[Carrying the offense] is a role that kind of switches. . . . With D.A. not here and Maurice sick, I’ve had to take over more of a scoring role.”