Clippers’ unhappy returns

There was an understandable demand at Staples Center for someone who had gone missing and, on top of that, not missing in any kind of action.

We want Camby!

One vocal fan was just voicing -- during what turned out to be another Clippers loss Monday night -- what nearly every other fan probably was thinking in the early days of this NBA season. Was Marcus Camby ever going to play or was his presence in L.A. just a rumor?

Seconds later, there was a dramatic entrance from someone else: Baron Davis.

Davis, who had been sidelined because of a sore left hip, came into the game with 5:47 remaining in the first quarter. And Camby, who had been out because of a bruised right heel and hadn’t played at all, even in the preseason, followed less than a minute and a half later.

So order was restored in the Clippers’ world?

Not quite.

Equilibrium was not going to be established that quickly. Not against the Jazz, which beat the Clippers, 89-73, and probably not against Wednesday’s opponent, the undefeated Lakers. Not with this group trying to learn on the fly.

The Clippers are 0-4, a complete turnaround from last season, when they started 5-0 before it all unraveled in a sea of injuries.

They managed to drop consecutive games to the Jazz with late collapses. The same Jazz without its point guard Deron Williams, who has been out because of a sprained left ankle.

On Monday, the Clippers’ second-half swoon was merely delayed against the Jazz, which outscored them, 24-13, in the fourth quarter.

On Saturday, Utah had gone on an 18-0 run, starting in the third quarter and carrying over into the fourth, to beat the Clippers, 101-79.

The Clippers remained competitive Monday until the fourth quarter. They trailed, 65-60, after three and then the Jazz put it away with a 17-7 run, mostly behind the inspired play of forward Paul Millsap, who had 15 of his 24 points in the final quarter.

“He kicked our butts, that’s what he did,” Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “That’s pretty much it. I told my team the only positive was that nobody got hurt. We’re building from here, getting guys playing together for the first time.”

Said forward Tim Thomas: “We’ve just got to put a full game together. We have halves and then the second half we kind of lose focus a little bit. Tonight we just got out-worked, in every aspect. They just . . . pretty much manhandled us. A lot of it was me.”

For the Clippers, Chris Kaman had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Al Thornton scored 11 points but just two in the second half.

Davis had 14 points, nine assists and three turnovers in 32 minutes. Camby had five points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes.

Davis’ decision to play against the Jazz came about five minutes before the game, he said. In fact, Dunleavy had thought Davis probably wouldn’t be ready until Wednesday against the Lakers.

“We’re all so new and it shows,” Davis said. “Until we kind of figure each other out we’re going to have periods without scoring. We’re a work in progress. Are we going to be in a panic mode because we’re 0-4? Not really.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com