Short Trip Provides Hint of Road Ahead

The Clippers open a three-game trip tonight, their longest in more than two months but only a preview of what’s to come.

They have an eight-game trip next month and a seven-game trip scheduled for late March and early April, so three games in four nights at San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans may not seem like much.

On the other hand, they have lost six of their last seven road games and probably couldn’t have picked a worse place to open a trip than San Antonio, where the Southwest Division-leading Spurs are 20-1.

“Obviously, they’re great, particularly here at home,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said of the Spurs on Tuesday. “I don’t think they have any weaknesses, other than their free-throw shooting. But other than that, everything else is about as good as you can get.”

The Clippers are 5-9 on the road and have not played at San Antonio, Dallas or Phoenix, nor have they played any of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference outside Staples Center.

“I don’t look at road games and home games in regard to where we are as a team,” Dunleavy said last week. “It’s about opponents. I kind of look at where we are against teams from last year to this year, and we’re better.”

Last season, the Clippers were 10-31 on the road.

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Chris Wilcox, sidelined since Jan. 2 because of a stress reaction in his lower right leg and not expected to play before next month, has been cleared to practice and could return this month, the team said.... Kerry Kittles, at the suggestion of trainer Jasen Powell, did not make the trip after suffering a strained right groin in Monday’s loss to Sacramento. “Jasen thought he’d be better off getting his treatment back at home,” Dunleavy said. “He’d be able to get more done that way.” No timetable has been set for Kittles’ return.... Mikki Moore, sidelined by a sprained right ankle, was listed as questionable for tonight’s game.

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TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 5:30 PST

FSN West 2

Site -- SBC Center.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Clippers 18-19; Spurs 31-9.

Record vs. Spurs -- 0-1.

Update -- The Spurs broke open a close game by opening the second half with a 21-5 run and making 70% of their shots in the third quarter of a 98-79 victory over the Clippers on Dec. 31 at Staples Center. “We missed a couple of shots, we missed a couple of rotations and that’s the end of it,” Dunleavy said. “They can make you pay.” The Clippers have lost four consecutive games to the Spurs and four in a row at San Antonio.