Brooks Cut to Meet Roster Requirement

Toward the end of Friday’s practice, point guard Scott Brooks--sidelined since the Clippers’ first exhibition game because of a slight ligament tear--shot baskets alone with a bag of ice tied around his right knee. It was easy to see Brooks wants to play.

But later in the afternoon, Brooks was told he had been released, a casualty of Friday’s leaguewide deadline to reduce rosters to 12 players.

The Clippers put center Stojko Vrankovic, who had a bad back, and guard Charles Smith, who has shin splints, on the injured list. With rookie forward Brian Skinner already on the list because of a knee injury, the Clippers waived Brooks to stay within the league maximum of three on the list.

Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, said releasing Brooks, a 10-year veteran, was difficult because he added so much to the team behind the scenes.

“He’s a real professional. . . . He brought enthusiasm and energy wherever he’s been,” Baylor said about Brooks, a former UC Irvine standout who signed as a free agent before training camp.

*

Skinner, a 6-foot-8 power forward, has begun running through some drills and the Clippers hope he’ll be ready to return within the next two weeks.

“We won’t rush him. The most important thing is that the knee is sound and that he gets good conditioning to be in game shape,” Coach Chris Ford said about Skinner, who had arthroscopic knee surgery 16 days ago.

“I would think that he’s still a week away, but I’m just guessing.”

*

Ford said he plans to make a couple of starting lineup changes for tonight’s game in an attempt to strengthen the Clippers at the start of games.

“We want to push the ball up the floor and make sure that we play better defense with our rotation,” Ford said. “The defense hasn’t been all that bad. . . . It would be nice if we started making open shots and foul shots. . . . We just can’t get off to a bad start early like we did last game when we were down 13-nothing.”

TONIGHT vs. Dallas, 7:30

Fox Sports West 2

* Site--Sports Arena.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Clippers 0-6, Mavericks 1-8.

* Record vs. Mavericks (1997-98)--3-1.

* Update--This might be the Clippers’ best chance to win their first game of the season. They have not played since a double-overtime loss to Vancouver on Tuesday. The Mavericks are playing the sixth game of a West Coast trip and lost to Golden State, 84-79, on Friday night. Dallas is led by Michael Finley and former USC guard Robert Pack, who has outplayed teammate Steve Nash so far this season.

* Tickets--(213) 480-3232.