A Piatkowski Spin Move

Ever the optimist, Clipper shooting guard Eric Piatkowski took the only positive spin he could find from Sunday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers and ran with it.

“I thought we played good basketball,” he said of the Clippers’ 92-87 defeat, in which they were outscored, 10-4, in the final three minutes. “The game came down to one or two possessions. We were right there at the end, but they won. There’s a reason why they were 13-2 coming into the game.

“But we’re going to get over the hump. I’m positive of that.”

Piatkowski blamed himself for running to the wrong spot on the floor on a pivotal possession in the closing seconds, when Keyon Dooling tried to free himself for a three-point shot that missed the mark with the Clippers trailing, 90-87.

“Me and Elton [Brand] didn’t do a very good job of being where we were supposed to be,” Piatkowski said.

Piatkowski scored nine points on three-for-six shooting, facing tight perimeter defense.

He has been one of the few Clippers opponents trail with much interest beyond the three-point arc.

“They’re playing me out there, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “They’re not going to give you wide-open jumpers.”

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The Clippers made 22 consecutive free throws before Sean Rooks missed two a minute into the fourth quarter.

-- Elliott Teaford