ANOTHER DOWN NOTE FOR CLIPPERS THEY SUFFER FOURTH CONSECUTIVE LOSS HOUSTON 108, CLIPPERS 103.

Byline: JOE STEVENS Staff Writer

That sound you hear might be the Clippers sliding back to reality after their storied run last season.

They took another loss, their fourth in a row, a 108-103 defeat by the Houston Rockets Sunday at Staples Center. While they could take solace in the fact that 59 games remain in the regular season, they dropped a season-worst threegames below .500, and the hits just keep on coming, injury- wise.

With Sam Cassell already out with plantar fasciitis, Tim Thomas went down in the first quarter with a bruised left elbow. Quinton Ross then joined him in the locker room in the third quarter with back spasms.

The Clippers typically use an eight-man rotation, so that left five regulars who played practically the entire second half without substitutions.

``We need our team,'' Clippers forward Elton Brand said. ``Tim is a shooter, and he's hurt. We have confidence in him that he'll knock down shots. Sam is another shooter. We need our team, first of all.''

Cassell has no timetable to return, and Thomas and Ross are day-to-day. With several nonplayoff Western Conference teams from last season, including Houston, much improved, the big question is if the Clippers can overcome those injuries.

Coach Mike Dunleavy says the Clippers have yet to recover from injuries suffered in training camp, and 23 games into the season, they're still feeling those effects.

``We're a little sluggish, so far up to this point,'' Dunleavy said. ``We have guys, because of their injuries, that conditioning has been down. Maybe they're susceptible to more injuries because of it, and it's been costly to us.

``We were hoping that our strength was going to be our depth. But all of that has been pretty well stretched right now.''

Against the Rockets, the Clippers led 46-45 at halftime, and everything went downhill from there. Houston went on an 11-0run to start the third quarter, and although the Clippers hung around, they never had a possession with a chance to tie the score.

The Clippers could not stop Yao Ming, who had 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. When Yao wasn't scoring inside, he found open shooters, and Houston went 8-of-17 (47.1percent) from 3-point range.

``There's a fine line of when to double-team and when not to,'' Dunleavy said. ``They made us pay the price on some of double-teams with their 3-point shooting.''

The Rockets won without Tracy McGrady, who was out with back spasms.

Chris Kaman played well against Yao, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. But he had five turnovers to Yao's one.

Shaun Livingston had 21points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Livingston could be the piece that could bring Allen Iverson to the Clippers in a trade, although the latest rumors have Minnesota and Denver the closest to executing a move.

Clippers fans look like they need a change -- at least two of them brought signs asking for Iverson.

``Something has to give,'' Brand said. ``Either (a trade is) going to happen, or we have to take it upon ourselves and win some basketball games. It's not going to be easy. We're going on the road soon and have some tough competition.

``Either way, something has to give. We can't keep losing on a downward spiral.''

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Photo:

Houston's Yao Ming, right, shoots over Clippers center Chris Kaman.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer