Hard to Tell Which Team Has a Sterling Reputation

We begin this feel-good story with a depressing reminder to Dodger supporters just how far their team has fallen: The Clippers have four more playoff victories than the Dodgers over the last 13 years.

“No way,” Coach Alvin Gentry said. “I’d have put everything I got down on that and would have said the Dodgers had those playoff wins,” and yes, those were the days--decades ago.

And how about this interesting question: Who has the best chance to record the next playoff victory--the Dodgers or the Clippers?

Keep in mind the Clippers’ season is probably over, one spot removed from the playoffs, and the Dodgers will be starting fresh Tuesday, and I’d still take the Clippers to burst into the playoffs next season before the Dodgers play another meaningful game.

As it is, the Clippers are already providing the most entertainment in town, Darius Miles taking a lofted pass from Jeff McInnis Saturday night against Utah and doing a behind-his-head slam that was almost worth the price of admission--except we’re talking about the price of admission to Staples Center.

The Clippers had never had more than 11 sellouts in a season while in L.A., but Saturday they were playing in front of their 12th consecutive sellout crowd--21st of the season--in a game with playoff implications. It’s difficult to think of any bigger turnaround in sports--other than a three-game winning streak by the Dodgers.

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TWO YEARS ago I was standing in the Marina Beach Marriott for the ho-hum announcement that the Clippers had “settled” for Gentry as their coach, asking him: “Didn’t you have any friends to dissuade you from committing professional suicide?”

Gentry took over a Donald Sterling disaster (is that redundant?) that had won 15 games the previous season, ran that victory total to 31 in his first year, and now, without a healthy and exciting Lamar Odom in the lineup for much of the season, he has still managed to make the Clippers into a legitimate entertainment option in the entertainment capital of the world.

The Clippers, tight-fisted with the money, provided an incentive clause in Gentry’s contract calling for him to receive a bonus if the team won 36 games this season. This is known in Clipperland as a “fat chance and no chance” clause.

Only three times in the last 20 years has a Clipper team posted 36 wins, so Sterling’s money seemed safe, but Gentry not only passed the 36-win mark, he now gets an additional cash bonus for each victory beyond 36.

With extra money on the line, however, it kind of makes you wonder why the guy was playing Sean Rooks and Doug Overton against the Jazz in the biggest game of the season, instead of shortening the bench and playing with the kids who got him this far. The guy who manages the Dodgers knows better than that. But we’ll save that kind of criticism for next year, when folks will be expecting so much more from Gentry & Co.

In the meantime, we’ll probably look upon the Dodgers the way we used to look upon the Clippers, hoping that a loss against the Giants on opening day won’t drop the guys into last place for the rest of the year.

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I PAID $284 for four tickets for the wife, two daughters and the grocery store bagger to go to the Clipper game. Everyone in attendance received a number--1 through 4--with those holding the winning number receiving one of 5,000 available Darius Miles bobblehead dolls. The winning number was 1, the bagger’s number, of course, which means now I have to hope he marries my kid so the doll stays in the family.

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IT HAS become apparent in the past few weeks that Laker guard Lindsey Hunter can’t shoot, so I was encouraged to see him taking the court early the other night for some extra work, throwing passes to Kurt Rambis so Rambis could practice his shooting. I’m pretty sure Rambis will be ready for the playoffs.

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CHICK HEARN returned to Staples Center Friday night and told everyone he was happy to see them, “even you,” he said, while shaking my hand. I was touched.

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SHAQUILLE O’NEAL planted his size-22 shoe on the ear of fan Jay Jackson while trying to leap the front row of fans at Staples Center Friday, and you can forgive my suspicion for thinking this was some kind of commercial being shot to draw more attention to Shaq’s shoes because Jackson works for his father, Steve, who owns ACI International, the company that makes Shaq’s shoes.

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THE PUBLIC is invited to join Shaq at the new Palm restaurant across from Staples Center April 12 to raise money for charity. As part of an auction, Norm Pattiz, chairman of Westwood One and a Laker fan, will fly two people on his plane to a Laker playoff game. I’d think this would be something Michael Olowokandi would want to bid on, because it’s the only way any of the Clippers will get to the playoffs this year. Tickets for the event cost $1,000 for a couple--which is probably cheaper than a meal for two at Staples.

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BASEBALL COMMISSIONER Bud Selig said nine teams made money last year, while Forbes magazine reported 20. Both agree, however, the Dodgers are losers.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in an e-mail from M. Pitt:

“Your response to that kid you inspired [and who was sent to the principal’s office] was juvenile and irresponsible. I’ll never read you again.”

Don’t you get tired of telling me that every month?

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.