Good night, if not a good rest, for Gordon

Sleepless in Sacramento.

Or maybe not.

Either way, the Clippers had plenty of time to reflect upon their third exhibition victory in as many games. They beat the Kings, 116-112, on Wednesday night in Stockton and then took an hourlong bus ride to Sacramento for what should have been a brief flight home.

Air speed instruments determined otherwise and takeoff was aborted.

“Pilot needs to know how fast he’s going,” said Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy.

Not going, in this case.

Eventually, the problem was resolved and they finally returned home about 5 a.m., a few short hours before the team’s charity golf tournament at Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Perhaps no one had more to recap about the game in all those hours on the ground than rookie guard Eric Gordon, the Clippers’ first-round draft pick this year.

Gordon, in his second exhibition game, scored 33 points in 31 minutes, which included six three-point shots.

He had nine points in 21 minutes the previous night at Oklahoma City. So imagine what Gordon might do when his ankle is 100%. He suffered a high right ankle sprain on the first day of training camp.

It is almost back to 100%. Gordon said the pain was nearly gone and it was only a matter of regaining strength and stability.

“I was feeling pretty good last night. I got a lot of playing time and I was just feeling really good,” Gordon said Thursday, just before the dinner functions at the golf club. “I was hitting some threes. After I started hitting a couple of shots, I think I was feeling good for the rest of the time.

“It’s like that for every jump shooter. When they hit a couple, they always keep going.”

Afterward, Gordon did some thinking about 33 points.

“It was quite funny,” he said. “The first game I had in college, I had the same amount of points. Which is kind of unique. It was weird.”

That was against Chattanooga, and the 33 points was an Indiana freshman record for a debut. And he chipped a tooth in that game.

At least there were no dental issues against the Kings.

The Clippers played without Baron Davis (flu), Marcus Camby (bruised heel) and Tim Thomas (strained left groin).

Rookie point guard Mike Taylor had 21 points and nine assists in 36 minutes.

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com