He’s the judge on who gets on court

Reaffirming his authority, Coach Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday said he alone determines playing time for the Clippers.

Dunleavy explained how things work on the team in response to reporters’ questions about Corey Maggette’s critical comments directed at him after the Clippers’ loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Frustrated about playing only 17 minutes, Maggette blasted Dunleavy for leaving him on the bench for most of the second half while the Knicks overcame a 10-point halftime deficit.

Dunleavy declined to address Maggette’s comments after the loss to the Knicks and again Wednesday before the Clippers’ 94-77 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

But speaking generally about the coach-player relationship, Dunleavy made his position clear.

“I decide who plays,” he said. “If a player has a question about his playing time, he’s more than welcome to come and talk to me about it. My door is always open, but I make those decisions. That’s just the way it is.”

Maggette was sidelined Wednesday because of flu-like symptoms, a team spokesman said. On Tuesday, Maggette had no rebounds against the Knicks, which might have contributed to Dunleavy’s decision. And defensive matchups also could have affected Maggette’s minutes.

Maggette, the sixth man, is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.2 points. Maggette, third on the team with an average of 5.7 rebounds, also expressed confusion about his role on the team earlier in the season.

“My decisions who I play are my decisions,” Dunleavy said. “I’m not going to be in the press explaining them.”

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Tim Thomas suffered a hyperextension of the right knee in the third quarter and is listed as day to day, Dunleavy said.

“It hurts a lot right now,” said Thomas, whose knee was wrapped heavily in ice after the game. “We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

The injury occurred with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter while Thomas was trying to grab a rebound after missing a shot. In the scramble for the ball, Sam Cassell, who had fallen, inadvertently undercut Thomas, who also fell. Thomas went to the bench with 4 minutes 39 seconds remaining in the quarter and did not return.

“Sam told me he got pushed by one of their [big guys],” Thomas said. “It just happens like that sometimes.”

jason.reid@latimes.com