Free-Throw Help Arrives

In Conseco Fieldhouse at Wednesday morning’s shoot-around, the Clippers were reunited with Gary Boren, a free-throw-shooting coach from Dallas whose work helped them establish a club record and rank fourth in the NBA last season by making 78.5% of their foul shots.

“It was planned [in advance],” Coach Mike Dunleavy said of Boren’s arrival, “but the timing’s pretty good.”

Through four games this season, the Clippers were down to 67.8%, and Dunleavy said he was concerned.

“We spend a lot of time on it,” he said before the Clippers made 24 of 26 free throws in Wednesday night’s 102-68 win over the Indiana Pacers. “We put a lot of emphasis on it, and we haven’t been as good as we were last [season]....

“You could certainly have a change based on adding or deleting certain players, but for the most part we haven’t hurt ourselves, I don’t think, in that regard.”

In other words, it’s mostly the same players.

Boren also works with the Dallas Mavericks, who made nearly 80% of their free throws last season to lead the NBA. He was scheduled to return home today.

But, “He may have to travel with us,” Dunleavy quipped.

*

Turnovers often sabotaged the Clippers last season, but they pushed the Detroit Pistons to two overtimes Monday despite a season-high 27. “The difference is, we’re better defensively,” Dunleavy said. Still, he’d like the Clippers to take care of the ball. “It’s the difference between talking about a win or a loss,” he said of Monday’s 99-96 loss.

*

Rookie Shaun Livingston, making his first trip to the Midwest since joining the NBA, bought more than 30 tickets for family and friends for Wednesday’s game and more than 50 for Saturday’s game at Chicago. He grew up in Peoria, Ill., about a 3 1/2 -hour drive from Indianapolis.