Closs, Ford Have a Minor Disagreement

Backup center Keith Closs and Coach Chris Ford had a minor run-in after practice Wednesday when Closs did not complete a weight training workout.

Unhappy with his inconsistent minutes of late, Closs did not hide his displeasure with Ford when he walked away from the Clipper coach minutes after the team’s light practice.

Closs, who is expected to be disciplined by the team, has had his problems off the court this season. In November, he was excused from a couple of practices because of legal reasons and in December he was sent home early from a workout after scuffling with teammate Maurice Taylor.

Closs, who missed two games last season for discipline reasons, was also an hour late for the team’s flight to Sacramento after Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center.

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Veteran point guard Eric Murdock has at times this season looked like the oldest 31-year-old in the NBA. He has struggled with knee, groin and ankle injuries and has not had a big impact for the Clippers after being acquired in a trade from New Jersey last summer.

But now Murdock is sound and even though his conditioning is not up to par, he gave a glimpse of what he can do in the second half against Sacramento on Tuesday night. He finished with 11 points and five steals in 20 minutes, his best game since leading the Clippers to a road victory over Minnesota on Nov. 17.

“It’s been frustrating for me, and I’m sure it’s been frustrating for Chris [Ford] that I haven’t been 100%,” Murdock said. “But when I’m healthy I expect to play and I expect to play well.”

On Wednesday, Murdock was one of a group of players who worked on conditioning during practice at Staples Center.

“This is the best I’ve felt since the preseason. I feel good. No more injuries,” Murdock said. “I just have to get into a basketball rhythm.”