Total Embarrassment Still Gentry’s Mantra

Upon further review, the Clippers should be thankful they still have fans willing to boo their lackluster play. At least that was the tone of Coach Alvin Gentry’s comments a day after a 95-64 loss Wednesday to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“It should be a total embarrassment to the team and the coaching staff as well,” Gentry said Thursday. “When I think about the fans, I don’t see how they could not have booed us. I know you sometimes have to say, ‘Forget about it.’ But it’s something that you should be embarrassed about. I know I am. I’m totally embarrassed.

“Over the course of a season, you’re going to have games like that. New Jersey just lost by 38 points at home [to the Sacramento Kings]. To play that way [Wednesday] at home is very disappointing [for the Clippers].”

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Gentry looked at a videotape of the game, as is his custom win or lose, but he couldn’t say if guards Quentin Richardson or Marko Jaric, back on the court after sitting out because of sprained left ankles, were effective. Neither had an impact on the game, although Jaric was ejected for jawing with someone on the Minnesota bench late in the game.

The teams play again next week in Minneapolis, but Gentry said Jaric told him Thursday, “It’s a dead issue.”

Gentry praised Corey Maggette, who led the Clippers with 20 points on seven-for-16 shooting and took seven rebounds in 36 minutes.

“I really couldn’t tell you if there was anyone else who played well,” Gentry said. “After the first quarter, we were never in the game, so it’s hard for me to say what anybody did in the game.”

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Center Michael Olowokandi offered this opinion of the team’s poor offense Wednesday: “We have to get out there and shoot jump shots. After they take everything away from you [by double- and triple-teaming the low post] and you take away the outside [by missing shots] yourself, what do you have left? Nothing. Until we make some outside shots, it’s not going to get better.”

The Clippers shot 32% overall, including 27.3% from behind the three-point arc, and were outscored, 27-11, in the fourth quarter, losing for the eighth time in 10 games.