Richardson Will Rest

MIAMI -- Quentin Richardson sprained his right knee while running wind sprints on the fourth day of training camp in October. He hyperextended the same knee during the Clippers’ victory Nov. 3 over the Detroit Pistons. He knocked his right knee against an unidentified member of the New Jersey Nets on Friday.

Richardson, a guard who started the team’s first two games before returning to a reserve role, landed on the injured list Tuesday.

The Clippers activated forward Tremaine Fowlkes to replace Richardson, who must sit out at least five games, including Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat. He is eligible to play again Nov. 20 against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center.

The Clippers hope the forced rest will enable Richardson to recover fully. He hasn’t been his usual explosive self since suffering the original injury, which sidelined him for all but one of the team’s eight exhibitions.

The second injury slowed him further and the third halted him.

The Clippers wished to point out that the three knee injuries are unrelated.

“What he needs to do is rest it and we’ll see if that’s” the answer, Coach Alvin Gentry said of Richardson, who averaged 7.8 points (on 12-for-34 shooting) and 3.6 rebounds in 20.8 minutes in five games this season.

Fowlkes began the season on the injured list because of a sprained right knee. He was in uniform Tuesday against the Heat but did not play in the Clippers’ 101-82 victory.

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With Richardson sidelined, Gentry went with his starters almost exclusively Tuesday, getting only three points from Keyon Dooling in 19 minutes. Marko Jaric did not score in eight minutes and Sean Rooks was blanked in four minutes.

“I’m not worried about getting scoring off our bench,” Gentry said, when asked about altering his normal rotation against Miami. “Marko played great defense. Keyon played great defense.”

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The Clippers will take today off after flying cross-country from Miami late Tuesday night. They begin a stretch of four games in five nights Thursday against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Magic, 120-117, Sunday afternoon at Orlando.