Closs Resolution Is Expected Today

Keith Closs, who has not been with the team since Wednesday, spoke to Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, and Coach Chris Ford before Sunday night’s game against Orlando and although Closs is still suspended indefinitely, the Clippers hope to reach a resolution before the team leaves today for San Antonio.

With Closs, suspended for skipping Saturday’s practice, not available, Ford did not have many options behind starting center Michael Olowokandi, who has struggled to stay in games because of foul trouble.

Ford was forced to use power forwards Maurice Taylor and Pete Chilcutt, who was signed to a 10-day contract last week, against the Magic because second-year big man Brian Skinner is still at least a week away from returning from a severe ankle sprain.

It’s not the type of inside rotation the Clippers want when they travel to San Antonio and Dallas this week, but it is one they may have to stick with because of the Closs situation.

“Depending on matchups, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Chilcutt,” Ford said before Sunday’s game against the Magic. “But we’ll have to see how it goes . . . depending on size.”

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Since the start of the new year, the Clippers have played well early but folded in the second half of most of their games.

“We’re just not playing an entire game,” shooting guard Eric Piatkowski said. “We play teams so well for three quarters and then we give the game away in small spans of time. We just let teams get a run and then that’s it.”

Piatkowski said he can tell whether the Clippers are ready to play with how they start defensively.

“Some nights we come and play tough defense and some night we don’t,” Piatkowski said. “You can tell from the start. . . . I don’t know if it is immaturity. I don’t know what it is but we don’t come to play every night.”

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For the first time in over a month, Eric Murdock started at point guard in place of Troy Hudson Sunday against Orlando. Murdock, acquired in a trade from New Jersey during the off-season, had only two points and an assist in his sixth start.