CLIPPERS LOOK LOST WITHOUT ODOM SAN ANTONIO 93, CLIPPERS 83.Byline: Sean Kearns Staff Writer The Clippers can survive without Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6 1979, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward (also plays both forward spots and is a "point-forward") for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. only for so long, and against a Tim Duncan-David Robinson onslaught the survival factor drops drastically. Odom missed Saturday's game with a bruised tailbone tail·bone n. See coccyx. , and while the Clippers stayed within striking distance, they never were able to give the San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and are the current NBA Champions after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. a real scare in a 93-83 loss at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. in front of 18,964. Duncan finished with 32 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. Along with David Robinson's 20 points, the two combined for more than half the Spurs' offense. ``Right now we are just not ready to play a team like that, and to me that's not a negative,'' Clippers coach Alvin Gentry Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball coach, and college basketball player, who has led three different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers. said. ``That's just a fact. They've got all veteran guys. We competed every way we possibly could. ... As long as we do that I don't have a problem with the outcome of the game.'' Gentry decided not to double-team Duncan and Robinson and not allow the other Spurs to beat them. The duo took 39 of the Spurs' 70 shots and shot better than 50 percent. But the strategy was not met with complete approval. ``Why do we double-team guys like Shareef Abdur-Rahim Julius Shareef Abdur-Rahim (born December 11, 1976 in Marietta, Georgia) is an American professional basketball player. Presently, he plays for the Sacramento Kings, a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). and not double-team a guy like Tim Duncan Timothy "Tim" Theodore Duncan (born April 25 1976 in Christiansted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands)[1] is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6'11" (2. ?'' center Michael Olowokandi asked. ``It doesn't make any sense.'' Olowokandi, who started the game on Duncan, spent much of the night in foul trouble, leaving the job of guarding Duncan to Sean Rooks. ``If you have a regular post player with a regular ability in the paint and if he doesn't get double-teamed and you clear that area, he will be effective,'' said Olowokandi, who finished with two points and four fouls in 20 minutes. ``That's what we did to him today. He's one of the best post players in the league right now.'' It didn't help the Clippers that their leading scorer, Odom, missed the game, giving them another reminder of how valuable he is to the team. The Clippers are 1-11 in games when Odom doesn't play. Odom hurt his tailbone against Milwaukee on Friday, when Ervin Johnson knocked him hard to the floor on a drive to the basket in the third quarter. Odom left the game for a while but returned only to be ejected in the fourth quarter. At the morning shootaround, Odom watched and moved gingerly. CAPTION(S): box Box: SPURS 93, CLIPPERS 83 |
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