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Clippers’ Mo Williams sits out against Lakers

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Clippers third guard Mo Williams didn’t play against the Lakers on Saturday night at Staples Center because of an injured right foot.

Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said Williams is listed as day to day after suffering the injury Tuesday night in Portland.

Williams played Wednesday night against the Miami Heat but was in pain.

“I strained a ligament on the outside of my foot,” he said. “I have to wear soft shoes now.”

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Williams was the Clippers’ fifth leading scorer, averaging 10.4 points off the bench.

“His foot was bothering him,” Del Negro said. “He grinded it out for us the last game against Miami. But with the schedule coming up, to force the issue now is not the right thing.”

It means that Randy Foye moves from the fourth-guard spot to the third-guard position in place of Williams.

“My main focus is to be prepared when I’m called up. Whether that’s 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, to start, whatever,” Foye said. “I just want to be physically prepared.”

Clippers benefiting from extra practice

The Clippers have had lots of practice time because they have played the fewest games of any team in the NBA at nine.

They had four days off last week and four off the week before that.

“I think it’s been a little bit of a benefit,” Del Negro said. “But it’s going to jump on us pretty quick here. So we’re going to have to handle that.

“But it’s all about preparing for the game and being ready for that next one. The schedule gets very difficult, but we’ve had some good days to get some rest in between our games. But now the rest is over and we’re going to have to manage it on a daily basis.”

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After Saturday night’s game against the Lakers, the Clippers will play five games in seven nights.

They play back-to-back-to-back games this week, starting with a home game against the New Jersey Nets on Monday night, a game on the road against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night and back at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Del Negro said that even with the extra time off, he doesn’t look ahead to another opponent.

“We’re in the beginning stages of a lot of things, so I want to prepare ourselves for what we need to do, how we’re going to play more so than what other teams are doing at times,” Del Negro said. “I think it’s important that we continue our process and our growth and our development of becoming a team that jells…”

Powell has daughter

Clippers trainer Jasen Powell and his wife, Mia, welcomed their second child, daughter Ariel Moriah Powell, Thursday morning at 1:54 a.m. The couple also has a son, Aaron.

Powell left before the start of Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Heat at Staples Center because his wife was about to give birth. He was back for Saturday night’s game.

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broderick.turner@latimes.com

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