Olowokandi Forces Duncan to Adjust

After getting blitzed by San Antonio two nights earlier, the Clippers decided to play the Spurs man-to-man Wednesday night--a move that gave big man Michael Olowokandi the difficult job of defending Tim Duncan without any help.

For a while, Olowokandi had Duncan confused. He blocked three of Duncan’s first four shots and forced him into some bad moves. But as the game wore on, Duncan wore down Olowokandi and the Clippers to help lead the Spurs to a 92-70 victory.

Duncan finished with 22 points but he took 27 shots.

“I thought Michael did a good job on [Duncan] tonight,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said. “He did about as well as you can possibly play him. Nobody is going to play him any better.”

Olowokandi was the only bright spot for the Clippers, who have lost eight games in a row. He finished with 14 points--12 in the first half--six rebounds and seven blocked shots.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to block them, but I knew I could affect them,” Olowokandi said about defending Duncan’s shots. “But he is such a smart player. He is going to adjust to anything you throw at him. That’s a sign of a great player.”

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In attempt to get more size in the starting lineup, 265-pound Brian Skinner replaced slender rookie Darius Miles at power forward.

“We have to be a little cautious with Darius because we don’t want him to be totally run down,” Gentry said. “That’s why we started Skinner.

“Darius may be a little tired but that might be more mental than anything. We ask him to do an awful lot for a 19-year-old kid. Kevin Garnett didn’t have to guard Chris Webber one night and Tim Duncan the next when he was 19.”

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When it comes to dunks, the Clippers rank among the league’s best. Going into Wednesday’s game, Miles led the team with 65, but Corey Maggette is expected to represent the team in the All-Star game Slam Dunk competition.

The league will announce today the players who will compete in the dunk contest and Maggette, who had 26 dunks before facing the Spurs, has a solid chance of being picked.

TONIGHT

at Houston, 5:30 PST

* Site--Compaq Center.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Clippers 13-33, Rockets 22-23.

* Record vs. Rockets--1-0.

* Update--The Clippers will complete their Texas back-to-back trip against the Rockets, who they defeated, 77-74, at Staples Center on Nov. 4.