Odom Was Main Distraction

An eight-game drug suspension of one player and the felony arrest of another might have many teams in an emotionally fragile state. But the Clippers, 9-9 after Tuesday’s victory over the Miami Heat at Staples Center, have forged ahead with barely a pause.

Distractions? What distractions?

“The Lamar thing was a distraction because he missed eight games,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said, referring to Lamar Odom’s eight-game suspension last month. “Michael [Olowokandi] came to me and told me, ‘This thing will play itself out, you’ll see.”’

Olowokandi was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with three felonies, including cohabitant abuse, charges that were recanted by a former girlfriend Monday.

“The Michael thing was obviously blown out of proportion or not handled properly,” Gentry said. “I was not concerned about Michael. The Lamar thing I was concerned about.”

Asked whether he believed the Clippers’ image as a young team on the rise in the NBA had been damaged, Gentry said, “You want to be on the front page [of the newspaper] for all the right reasons.”

Gentry paused a moment before adding, “What it is is what it is. We’ve got a lot of young guys. We try to talk to the guys. We say, ‘You’re living in a big city. There’s a lot of attention on you. You have to conduct yourselves in a way that doesn’t embarrass yourselves or the organization.”’

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Shooting guard Eric Piatkowski was sidelined for a second game because of a strained right hip flexor.