Odom Adjusts, Expands Game

Over the last two weeks, Lamar Odom has made some adjustments to his game, hoping to become a more complete player.

Instead of looking for his offense early, Odom has been more inclined to let the game come to him.

“I don’t want to force any more shots, I don’t like playing like that,” said Odom, who will lead the Clippers into tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center. “I am trying to do a little bit of everything to help my team.”

His new attitude has helped Odom become a triple-double threat each game. In their eight-point loss at Vancouver on Wednesday, he was within one rebound and two assists of his fourth triple-double in six games.

The Clippers, however, have not always been up to the challenge when Odom takes a back-seat role early in games. Which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Odom.

“Some games, I choose how I’m going to play based on the way the game starts,” he said. “I try to feel what type of flow the game is going to be first.

“But I know I have been starting off a lot slower. . . . When I hit my first few [shots], I’m going to keep going. But [against Vancouver], I might have waited a little too late [to be aggressive offensively].”

*

If there’s one thing the Clippers have learned this season, it’s that they can’t afford to get into long-distance shootouts.

Whenever the Clippers resort to their perimeter game, chances are they are going to lose because they are not a good three-point team. They rank 21st in the league (33.7%) in shooting percentage from behind the arc and are 2-33 when they have made fewer three-point shots than their opponents.

TONIGHT

vs. Milwaukee, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KMPC (1540).

* Records--Clippers 27-48, Bucks 48-27.

* Record vs. Bucks--0-1.

* Update--The Clippers are 10-2 over their last 12 home games but have lost five in succession to the Bucks, most recently by 21 points at Milwaukee on Jan. 16.

* Tickets--(800) 462-2849.