The Beat Goes On Against the Jazz

The Clippers lost Wednesday to the Jazz for the 26th consecutive time at Utah, which includes an 0-22 record at the Delta Center. Inquiring minds wished to know why the Clippers can’t seem to win in Salt Lake.

“I can give you two pretty good reasons,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said. “One wears No. 12 and the other wears No. 32.” That would be point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone.

“Guys,” Gentry told reporters, “they’ve been doing that to everybody for 50 years or for however long they have been playing together.”

The Jazz edged closer to securing a Western Conference playoff spot. Utah is in eighth place in the West with a 42-33 record. The Clippers are ninth with a 37-38 mark.

“I can guarantee you there aren’t any teams that will be overly excited about playing them in the playoffs,” Gentry said of the Jazz.

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As expected, Corey Maggette started at small forward in place of Tremaine Fowlkes. Maggette had 18 points in 32 minutes in his third game since coming off the injured list. He was sidelined more than a month because of two dislocated bones in his right hand. He also had arthroscopic knee surgery during his layoff.

TONIGHT

at Dallas, 6 PST, TNT

Site--American Airlines Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Clippers 37-38, Mavericks 51-22.

Record vs. Mavericks--2-1.

Update--The Clippers have averaged 116 points and the Mavericks 114.3 in three games against each other this season. Expect another high-scoring game tonight, with the Clippers still searching for a winning record and the Mavericks chasing the Sacramento Kings and the Lakers for the league’s top record. The Mavericks are 13-5 since acquiring Avery Johnson, Raef LaFrentz, Nick Van Exel and Tariq Abdul-Wahad from the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 21. LaFrentz is averaging 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 18 games as the Mavericks’ starting center.