Odom Questionable for Tonight’s Game

With the All-Star break over, the Clippers may have to start play without rookie Lamar Odom when they face the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena.

For the last few weeks, Odom has been bothered by nagging injuries to his right shoulder and left knee and he will be examined by a team doctor today in Los Angeles. His status for tonight’s game is uncertain.

“If he can join us and be ready to go, he’ll play,” interim Coach Jim Todd said about Odom, who played in the rookie challenge game Saturday. “We talked about him getting looked at right before the All-Star game. We weren’t sure if he was going to play in the game but he did. Hopefully, we’ll find out what has been bothering him. We would like to have him here ASAP.”

Odom was not the only Clipper not to make the trip to Miami. The Clippers, who practiced until 10 p.m. Monday night at Miami’s new arena, also do not have second-year swingman Tyrone Nesby, who suffered a cracked right big toe in a loss to Chicago on Feb. 6.

Nesby is expected to rejoin the team before the current trip is completed.

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Starting with tonight’s game against the Heat, the Clippers will play seven road games over the next 10 days. Not an ideal schedule for a team which has lost six games in a row and 20 of its last 22.

“We have to make our own breaks, we can’t worry about who we are playing and when we are playing them,” Todd said. “I think [the players] are getting better with what we are trying to do but we just can’t seem to get everyone healthy at one time.”

TODAY

vs. Miami, 4:30 PST

* Site--American Airlines Arena.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Clippers 11-38, Heat 30-17.

* Record vs. Heat--0-1.

* Update--It’s been more than six years since the Clippers defeated the Heat at Miami with their last win coming Jan. 18, 1994. Miami has won six consecutive games over the Clippers overall, including an eight-point victory at Staples Center on Dec. 6. Center Alonzo Mourning leads the Heat in scoring (22.7 points) and rebounding (9.6). Mourning’s 4.04 blocked shots per game leads the NBA.