Closs Has Suspension Lifted by Team

After a Monday morning meeting with Clipper vice-president of basketball operations Elgin Baylorand Coach Chris Ford, center Keith Closs was reinstated from the suspension imposed on him by the club on Saturday.

Closs is expected to be in uniform and available to play tonight when the Clippers play the Spurs.

Closs was suspended when he failed to show for practice Saturday.

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Because Maurice Taylor still plans to leave the Clippers during the off-season as an unrestricted free agent, one of the teams that will probably be in the hunt for his services will be the Orlando Magic, who defeated the Clippers Sunday night at Staples Center.

Taylor didn’t have an all-star caliber game against the Magic but he did enough to gain high praise from Orlando Coach Doc Rivers, who sounded as if he was recruiting the Clipper power forward.

“Maurice Taylor . . . he really plays. That guy is an amazing player,” Rivers said after Taylor scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had a career-high five assists against the Magic.

TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 5:30 PST

Channel 9

* Site--Alamodome.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Clippers 10-30, Spurs 26-15.

* Record vs. Spurs--0-2.

* Update--San Antonio has defeated the Clippers twice at Staples Center, including a six-point victory eight days ago. The Clippers have lost eight in a row to the Spurs and their last win at San Antonio was more than three years ago (Jan. 5, 1997).