Piatkowski Not Pining to Be Starter

Seven-year NBA veteran Eric Piatkowski has started 108 games, but the sharpshooting swingman has not started any this season.

As he had the first 28 games, Piatkowski opened Tuesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets on the bench. Don’t think, however, that Piatkowski is unhappy with his role.

Coach Alvin Gentry likes to use Piatkowski at key times late in games, which fits the player fine.

“I love it because it is the most important thing for me . . . I can’t ask for anything more,” said Piatkowski, who had 15 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes in the Clippers’ 109-108 loss to the Nuggets.

“I’m playing good quality minutes and I love being on the floor when the game is on the line. That has been going on for a while now and I am happy about that. I like taking the shot when the game is on the line. Things are really positive right now.”

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Two key plays that worked against the Clippers were fourth-quarter dunks. Second-year swingman Corey Maggette made one over two Denver players but was given a technical foul for hanging on the rim with the Clippers ahead, 99-92, with 7:16 remaining.

The Nuggets’ George McCloud then made a free throw and a three-point basket on the ensuing possession to cut the Clipper lead to three points.

“That was a four-point play right there,” Gentry said.

Rookie Keyon Dooling was responsible for the next dunk with the Clippers ahead, 108-102, with 1:15 left. He tried to throw the ball down over Antonio McDyess but was called for an offensive foul even though the Denver player appeared to be in the circle beneath the basket.

“I thought he was inside,” Dooling said. “This is a tough loss because we thought we did enough to win but did not come up with the victory.”

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Some of the Clippers had a different look against the Nuggets, and it did not have anything to do with head bands. Lamar Odom, Michael Olowokandi and Jeff McInnis wore red bandage strips over their noses in an attempt to help them breath better in Denver’s high altitude.

Did it work?

“It sure did,” said McInnis, who played 13 games as a rookie with Denver in 1996-97. “I used to wear them when I played here. They work really good.”

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Although McDyess scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Nuggets, Brian Skinner had another strong game at power forward for the Clippers, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first half. After playing in an offensive funk for nearly three weeks, Skinner recently has provided much-needed scoring and rebounding up front.