Cassell Has Some Making Up to Do

Point guard Sam Cassell hopes to shoot better tonight than he did in his last game against the Sacramento Kings, which shouldn’t be difficult.

Cassell, in his worst game of the season, missed 11 of 12 field-goal attempts and scored only three points Dec. 27 in a 110-93 loss at Staples Center.

In the rematch at Arco Arena, Cassell said he must be a sharp shooter.

“I was one for 12 the other game against them, and 11 of those shots I know I was supposed to make,” said Cassell, averaging 16.2 points and a team-high 6.9 assists.

“If I get those shots this time, I know I’m going to knock those shots down. When you miss a shot you normally make, it’s like they’re throwing a fastball down the middle to Barry Bonds and he misses it. That’s not going to happen too often.”

Although Cassell wouldn’t make excuses, the Clippers said his extra responsibility on defense contributed to a poor effort on offense. Backup swingman Quinton Ross, the team’s best perimeter defender, was sidelined by a sore back, so Cassell often chased Sacramento point guard Mike Bibby, who had 38 points and 10 assists.

Ross has been cleared to play limited minutes.

“It’s big to have Q back,” Cassell said. “It’s definitely going to help a lot.”

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Not surprisingly, Texas native Daniel Ewing of the Clippers enjoyed the Longhorns’ 41-38 victory over USC on Wednesday in the Rose Bowl, and he was especially pleased for his childhood friend, All-American quarterback Vince Young.

Ewing and Young, winner of consecutive Rose Bowl most-valuable-player awards, were teammates on a youth basketball team in Houston.

“That was one of the best football games I’ve ever seen, two good teams, and Vincent Young really put on a show,” Ewing said. “He was a pretty good basketball player, but he was a lot better at football. Football was more of his main thing.

“He just played basketball because he’s been that height since he was in the eighth grade. Basketball was a secondary sport.”

Ewing figured it would be difficult to reach Young on his cell phone immediately after the game, but he said he planned to contact him soon.

“I didn’t want to hit him last night, I know he was real busy,” Ewing said. “I’m going to try to let it settle down, and then I can just call him and tell him I’m proud of him.”

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TONIGHT

at Sacramento, 7, FSNW2

Site -- Arco Arena.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Clippers 17-12, Kings 12-18.

Record vs. Kings -- 0-1.

Update -- Sacramento point guard Mike Bibby averages a team-high 19.6 points.