Odom Can’t Help in Return

The reception was positive, but the results were anything but for Lamar Odom and the Clippers.

It would have made for a great story if an electric sellout crowd at Staples Center had cheered Odom’s every move Thursday as he led the perfectly-in-sync Clippers to a victory over the New Jersey Nets.

Didn’t happen.

Others tried without success to rally the Clippers past the Nets in Odom’s first game back in the lineup after serving an eight-game suspension without pay for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

The Nets repeatedly turned back the Clippers, emerging with a 95-90 victory before a Thanksgiving night crowd of 13,172.

New Jersey’s Keith Van Horn was easily the best player on the floor, torching the Clippers for 34 points and finishing with 12 rebounds. Net point guard Jason Kidd was a close second, scoring 16 points, taking 12 rebounds and finishing with 11 assists.

Elton Brand led the Clippers with 23 points and 16 rebounds, but all eyes were on Odom--at least after he entered the game late in the first quarter.

“I tried to stay focused on the game and do whatever I could to help my team,” Odom said. “I wasn’t able to do much .... Hopefully, I can have a bigger impact on our team than I did tonight.”

Odom looked rusty at times, which was to be expected since he hadn’t played since Nov. 3. He was suspended Nov. 5 because he said he “chose to experiment with marijuana.”

Odom had seven points, making only three of 10 shots and one of two free throws, and six assists in 27 minutes before fouling out with 2:42 remaining. He entered the game to the cheers of the crowd with 2:54 left in the first quarter.

“It feels good to be wanted,” he said of the fans’ reaction to him. “I’m a tough kid. I’ll get through this. I didn’t play well tonight, but I feel like I sparked my team a little bit in the second quarter.”

The Nets swiped the ball from Odom the first time he touched it. But Odom sank a jump hook from the lane moments later. He then bulled his way past the Nets for another hoop. Seconds later, he made a bank shot over rookie center Jason Collins.

Odom ignited a highlight-reel fastbreak by stealing a loose ball beneath the New Jersey basket, racing down court and hitting a streaking Eric Piatkowski with a flawless bounce pass. Piatkowski finished the play by making a sweet reverse layup that cut the Clipper deficit to 47-40 late in the second quarter.

Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry wasn’t expecting perfection from Odom. All but lost amid the news of his suspension was the fact that he might have been sidelined anyway because of a bruised left foot.

“We talked,” Gentry said of a pregame conversation with Odom. “I told him he’s got to continue to work hard. It’s not all going to come back in the first five minutes.”

Gentry said Odom’s foot was “not 100%, but it’s better.”

Odom’s lack of fitness--he rode a stationary bicycle and jogged on the sand at the beach to stay in shape during his layoff--played a role in Gentry’s decision to start Corey Maggette at small forward for the ninth consecutive game.

In fact, Maggette might start again tonight, when the Clippers face the Utah Jazz at Salt Lake City.

“We’ll have to play it by ear,” Gentry said when asked when he might return Odom to the starting lineup. “He hasn’t been able to do a whole lot because of his foot.”

There was little doubt that Odom gave the Clippers a lift Thursday, but their sluggish play to start the game made it appear as if they had scarfed too much Thanksgiving turkey.

The Nets had moments of inconsistency, but Van Horn made certain they got moving in the right direction with 15 points in the first quarter. Van Horn hit from the outside and the inside, making six of nine shots as the Nets took a 27-21 lead after the first period.

The Nets (9-3) led, 49-44, at halftime, showing no signs of fatigue from their overtime victory Wednesday against the Jazz.

“I didn’t think our defense was where it should have been, especially with them playing the night before in overtime,” Gentry said. “We lost the game because they were much more energetic than we were.”