Piatkowski Frustrated Again

For an 82% career free-throw shooter, the Clippers’ Eric Piatkowski has missed some key shots from the line he’d love to take again.

Piatkowski had a chance to give the Clippers a 93-90 lead with 11.4 seconds left in a 102-96 loss to the New Jersey Nets on Sunday, but missed his second attempt.

“It’s so frustrating because I had been shooting the ball so well,” said Piatkowksi, who had shot 82.6% from the line coming into Sunday’s game. “I felt so confident when I let it go. I was shocked when I missed.”

Lamar Odom, who had a career-high 34 points in the loss, defended Piatkowski. He said all the Clippers had to do was prevent New Jersey’s Keith Van Horn from tying the game with a last-second basket, which sent the game into overtime.

“We went into the overtime, zero-zero,” Odom said. “We lost the game in overtime, not with a free throw.”

vs. Detroit, 4:30 PST

* Site--The Palace of Auburn Hills.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), 6:30 p.m. (delayed).

* Records--Clippers 16-38, Pistons 20-32.

* Record vs. Pistons (1999-2000)--0-2.

* Update--This will be Coach Alvin Gentry’s first game against the team he coached last season. Gentry, fired by the Detroit on March 6, will face his friend and former assistant George Irvine, who now coaches the Pistons. “It’s going to be hard to coach against a good friend,” Irvine said. “We need a win. And I’m sure he really wants to do well against us. That would be my reaction.” Irvine also thinks the Clippers are headed in the right direction, saying, “He’s got them playing hard and they’ve been in a lot of close games.”