Schedule Doesn’t Afford a Break

Talk about bad timing.

The Clippers have lost eight consecutive games, have not won since Jan. 10 and tonight, for the second time in three days, face the San Antonio Spurs, a team they have not defeated since Dec. 4, 1997.

“[San Antonio] is not a good team for us to be playing . . . because they are probably playing as well as they have the whole year,” Coach Alvin Gentry said about the Spurs, who have defeated the Clippers 11 consecutive times. “They put you in such a tough situation. You don’t have a choice. You have to double-team [Tim] Duncan. When you do, they spread the floor and they have shooters. You can’t possibly rotate and get to their shooters, they make it impossible almost.”

With Duncan and David Robinson holding down the middle, the Clippers, who are one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in the league, simply don’t match up well with the Spurs.

The Clippers, held to 67 points in a 29-point loss to San Antonio at Staples Center Monday, had a miserable shooting night. They made only 26 of 75 shots (34.7%) and leading scorer Lamar Odom missed 13 of 18 attempts but still led the team with 15 points.

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The Clippers’ 67-point total Monday is the lowest since the franchise moved to California in 1978. The all-time franchise low is 63, set in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21, 1972, when the team was the Buffalo Braves.

TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 5:30 PST

* Site--Alamodome.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Clippers 13-32, Spurs 27-15.

* Record vs. Spurs--0-1.

* Update--Eight San Antonio players scored at least nine points in a 96-67 victory over the Clippers Monday. The Spurs may have Antonio Daniels back in the lineup after he sat out two games because of a right knee injury.