Clippers’ Problems Get Bigger in Texas

Five hours before the Clippers were scheduled to leave for Texas to start a three-game trip last week, they were feeling pretty good about themselves. They had won six of their last nine games and were excited about playing the spoiler role against playoff-bound teams.

Then they learned about Lamar Odom’s five-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug program. It was all downhill from there.

The once-resilient Clippers suddenly turned into a fragile team and they completed a winless trip by losing, 99-81, to the San Antonio Spurs Monday night before 21,974 at the Alamodome.

“We were on a high because we knew that we were playing well and we thought we had a chance [for a successful trip],” said Coach Alvin Gentry, whose team was outscored by 48 points combined in their three Texas defeats. “There was a definite mood change [once Odom was suspended and didn’t make the trip]. It went from a real positive to everyone all of a sudden being concerned about Lamar.”

In the games leading up to Odom’s suspension, the Clippers appeared to be jelling.

But after suffering a tough loss at Houston to open the trip and a sound beating at Dallas on Sunday, the Clippers played like a ragtag team that looked lost without its leader.

“We have a young team and a lot of us looked for him to lead,” said Corey Maggette, who had 15 points and six rebounds in his third start in place of Odom at small forward. “He really sets the tempo for us. He always has an upbeat attitude. It’s not like we weren’t trying but we just didn’t always play hard like we should have and that messed with our flow. Lamar is a big attribute to this team. . . . It’s a matter for everyone stepping up and we haven’t done that.”

It surely didn’t help that the Clippers finished the trip against San Antonio, which has won the last 13 meetings.

With Tim Duncan registering 28 points and 11 rebounds for his league-leading 51st double-double of the season, the Spurs rolled to their seventh consecutive win and 21st over their last 25 games.

Veteran center David Robinson added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Antonio Daniels came off the bench to add 13 points and six assists for the Spurs, who maintained their lead over Utah, Sacramento, Portland and the Lakers in a battle for home-court advantage among Western Conference playoff teams.

“Controlling your own destiny is all you can really ask for,” said Duncan about the Spurs, who improved to 44-19 and have not lost at home to the Clippers since Jan. 5, 1997. “You want it to come down to what you do. You don’t want to have to worry about other teams helping you out. That’s what we’ve worked for.”

San Antonio definitely did not have too much to worry about from the Clippers, who shot 37.5% and were outrebounded, 49-39.

Point guard Jeff McInnis led the Clippers with 20 points and rookies Keyon Dooling (14 points) and Darius Miles (11) combined to make 10 of 17 field goals off the bench.

The game, however, was never really close as San Antonio led by 10 points after one quarter; 17 at the half and 20 after three quarters.

“They made it hard for us from the beginning,” McInnis said. “Their big guys set the tone for the game early. They got a big lead and it’s hard for a team like us already wounded without our leader Lamar Odom, to fight from 20 points down and win a game against Tim Duncan and David Robinson.”

The Clippers can now only hope to regroup and finish the season strong with 10 of their next 15 games at home.

“I just keep using Miami as an example of how a team is supposed to respond,” Gentry said. “Eddie Jones goes out and they already are playing without Zo [Alonzo Mourning] and they go out and beat Minnesota, which is a playoff team. Of course, we are going to miss Lamar because he’s not around. But we have to have everyone step up their game.”

If the Clippers are to do that, they will definitely need better shooting games from center Michael Olowokandi and guard Eric Piatkowski, who combined to miss 17 of 18 field goals and scored only six points against the Spurs.