First Road Test Not Passed

The road to respectability begins on the road for the Clippers.

No matter what they do in the friendly confines of Staples Center, the Clippers must win at least a few games while putting up with overpriced room service, questionable officiating and hostile crowds.

“Obviously, if we’re going to be taken seriously as a playoff [contending] team, we’ve got to win some road games,” Coach Alvin Gentry said before the Clippers lost for the eighth time in nine games away from Staples.

Certainly, there’s no crime in losing to the Sacramento Kings, as the Clippers did Wednesday by 105-91 in front of 17,317 at Arco Arena. After all, better, more accomplished teams have fallen like a brick against the Kings at Sacramento.

It’s simply the wrenching transition from a polished, confident team at home to a harried, uncertain club on the road that’s so puzzling. Whether it’s inexperience or immaturity, the Clippers become easy prey once they leave the 213 area code.

If the Clippers hope to solve their bone-jarring woes along the NBA’s bumpy road, they must do it soon. Wednesday’s game was the first in an unkind stretch that has them away from Staples for 21 of 30.

“It’s going to take a minute,” Elton Brand said. “I think our road woes are going to be eradicated soon. It’s a good test to see if we’re going to be a good team or not.”

Wednesday, the answer was not.

The Kings, the NBA’s best team at home with an 18-1 record, played a huge role in the Clippers’ demise. Six Kings scored 10 or more points, led by Chris Webber’s 21 (to go with 10 rebounds and six assists).

Sacramento seized control in the final minutes before halftime, going on a 12-5 run and taking a 56-47 lead.

Perhaps the most remarkable halftime statistic was this one: the Kings had only one turnover, a franchise record. They would finish with seven, one shy of a club record. The Clippers had 17, leading to 20 points for the Kings.

When the Clippers got close late, the Kings powered away swiftly and certainly. Sacramento led by 81-72 after Brand’s layup with 10:21 remaining, but the Kings didn’t blink.

Webber made two steals to set up electrifying sequences at the other end of the court. Bobby Jackson made a driving layup after the first and then set up Webber with a lob pass on the second, which gave the Kings a 96-77 lead with 6:08 left.

“We missed a lot of layups and other shots that we usually make,” said Clipper forward Lamar Odom, who scored 13 points in his first game after being sidelined for three because of a sprained right wrist.

Odom fared about as well as could be expected, making five of eight shots and taking seven rebounds and adding four assists. He was termed questionable for the game by the team Tuesday, but warmed up with his teammates Wednesday and gave it a go.

“We haven’t had many games on the road,” said Odom. “We need to learn how it’s going to be. We’re so used to playing at Staples, but there are some different bounces off the rims on the road.”

Michael Olowokandi, who did not play in Tuesday’s 112-97 victory over Portland at Staples because of food poisoning, was back in the starting lineup and that gave the Clippers a familiar look when they took the floor to face the Kings.

“If he’s healthy, I’m going to play him,” Gentry said of Odom, whose wrist was taped. “He thought he could go, so we played him, what, 40 minutes?”

That’s good news as the Clippers’ two-game trip continues Friday against the Nuggets at Denver. They’re back at Staples to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, then it’s off on a six-game trip to the East.