Clippers Feel the Pain While Losing to Magic

Corey Maggette, frustrated and hurt, pounded his right hand on the scorer’s table during the Clippers’ 119-102 loss Thursday to the Orlando Magic and made matters considerably worse.

Already suffering from a mild concussion and a nagging knee injury, Maggette gave himself a dislocated right pinky with his anger over a referee’s call. He could be placed on the injured list today, meaning he could be sidelined for at least five games.

“Corey’s probably going to be out for quite a while,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said when asked about Maggette’s status.

And the hits kept coming.

Darius Miles had muscle spasms in his right side, which were brought on by a sprained right shoulder he suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

Miles grimaced from almost the moment he entered the game until Gentry sent him to the locker room with the game out of reach to start the fourth quarter. His status was termed questionable for Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

And there was more.

Quentin Richardson felt a tweak in his right hamstring taking a garbage-time jump shot. He was taken out and did not return. He said he would be “all right” for Saturday.

Meanwhile, Elton Brand played gamely despite a stretched tendon in his right ring finger. One night after sitting out the Clippers’ victory over the Miami Heat, Brand had 19 points and 15 rebounds against Orlando.

“It’s frustrating, especially at this time of year, when we’re fighting for a playoff spot,” Gentry said of the injuries. “You’ve just got to deal with it. It’s OK when it’s one or two injuries here or there, but somehow we’re now talking about five or six guys and all of them are key guys. We’re running out of guys.

“And our best player is back in L.A.”

That would be versatile swingman Lamar Odom, sidelined by sprains to his right wrist and ankle. He is expected to be out several more weeks. Maggette has been starting for Odom at small forward, but it’s uncertain what Gentry will do next.

The Magic overwhelmed the Clippers from the start. Orlando swept the Clippers up in a high-tempo game and faltered only slightly in the second quarter, when a double-digit lead slipped to only 48-44.

But the Clippers committed turnovers on three of their next five possessions and the Magic took off again. Orlando led by as many as 27 points in the second half, turning the game into a runaway before 14,143 fans at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Tracy McGrady scored 22 points, Darrell Armstrong had 20 and Mike Miller 19 for the Magic. McGrady, who had 47 points in the Magic’s loss Dec. 10 to the Clippers at Staples Center, also had seven rebounds.

Orlando made 10 of 26 three-point baskets (38.5%) and had 21 offensive rebounds.

“The one thing about this team is that if we’re going to be in this playoff race, then we have to be more consistent,” Gentry said of the Clippers.

“We can’t play solid defense one night and give up 119 the next.”

The Clippers were always a step behind and never in contention after their brief run in the second quarter.

By halftime, the Clippers trailed, 58-46. Soon enough, their deficit reached 78-51.

One by one, Gentry removed his starters, leaving only point guard Jeff McInnis on the floor for the final, meaningless moments. Backup Keyon Dooling continues his slow recovery from a sprained left ankle, suffered Nov. 14, and has played limited minutes.

“More bad news, more bad news,” Brand said afterward. “But we have to continue to fight. It seems like we’re going to have to will our way into the playoffs.”