Road Is Kind Once Again

The exhibition season might not be an indicator of how good a team is, but don’t tell that to the Clippers.

The Clippers, who finished last season with the second-worst record in the league, won for the fourth time in six road exhibition games with a 104-93 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday at Spokane, Wash.

The Clippers secured the victory in the fourth quarter when Troy Hudson and Lamar Odom made key plays to shut down a rally by Seattle, which rested Gary Payton and Horace Grant in the second half.

“We had Lamar at the point and ran some pick-and-roll action with Troy,” Clipper Coach Chris Ford said. “Troy got pretty hot and we rode his coattail at the end.”

Maurice Taylor led the Clippers with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Hudson added 21 points in 27 minutes off the bench.

Center Michael Olowokandi, who had 11 points and nine rebounds, helped the Clippers finish with a 51-39 edge in rebounding.

With Derek Anderson sidelined in the second half because of back spasms and Eric Piatkowski not in uniform because of bruised ribs, Odom had his best game of the exhibition season.

Odom finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. He directed the offense for much of the second half for the Clippers (4-2), who will open the regular season Nov. 2 against Seattle at Staples Center.

“[Odom] has a lot of maturity,” Hudson told team broadcaster Ralph Lawler. “He’s a born leader.”

Eric Murdock, who started at point guard and had seven first-quarter points, and Taylor, who had 17 points in 17 first-half minutes, helped the Clippers stay close early against the SuperSonics.

Seattle (3-3) held a 57-48 lead at halftime but was outscored, 30-16, by the Clippers in the third quarter.