CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: ALL IS NOT WELL ON PLAYOFF VOYAGE SIX-YEAR VETERAN MAGGETTE APPARENTLY MIFFED OVER LACK OF PLAYING TIME.

Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer

Absolutely everyone should be happy with the Clippers, considering they just won their first playoff game in 13 years.

The emotions of Corey Maggette, however, aren't that simple to gauge.

Maggette, in his sixth season with the Clippers, finally played in his first postseason game Saturday 1/3 Game 1 of the Western Conference first- round series against the Denver Nuggets. But Maggette logged only 14 minutes off the bench, including just five in the second half.

After practice Sunday, Maggette was the only Clippers player who did not make himself available for interviews, a move that is out of character for the media-friendly guard/forward. When he was sidelined with a foot injury for a stretch of 39 games earlier this season, he became a regular contributor to Fox's pregame telecast.

But Maggette, who made comments earlier this season about his desire to reclaim his starting position, didn't comment on anything, even though his team is enjoying a taste of playoff success.

Maggette missed 50 games this season because of injuries. He also missed seven of the team's final eight regular-season games because of a herniated disc.

Yet both he and coach Mike Dunleavy have said it is not health that is preventing him from playing more.

"Guys got to know me by now," Dunleavy said. "I'm leading with our defense. The guys that come in got to defend. ... (The reserves) came in with a (14-point) lead, and it got to four."

The coach sounded as if he was trying to be diplomatic by not singling out any player, but it wasn't hard to figure out who he was talking about. Shaun Livingston and Maggette entered late in the third quarter when the Clippers had their biggest lead, only to see the Nuggets respond with a 10-0 run.

"It's not that it's anybody's fault in particular," Dunleavy said. "But you got to go with the defensive group that got us there. ... Guys got to show they can defend people, and if they do, that's going to get minutes."

Before Dunleavy came aboard three years ago, former Clippers coach Alvin Gentry repeatedly referred to Maggette as the team's best defender. Dunleavy calls Quinton Ross the team's top defender, and he has been starting and getting more minutes than Maggette, who averaged a team-high 22.2 points per game last season.

Although Maggette's situation is a curious sidelight to the Clippers' playoff series, it should be noted that, overall, team chemistry is as good as it has been. The typically loquacious Sam Cassell dismissed talk about the swingman's issues.

"I'm not going to get into that stuff," Cassell said. "There's no frustration with Corey."

--Radmanovic ailing: Vladimir Radmanovic sprained his left wrist when he was called for an offensive foul with 24 seconds left in Saturday's game. He wore a splint on his wrist Sunday and did not practice. He is considered questionable for Game 2 tonight.

--Quotable: Regarding the defense of Denver's Greg Buckner, Cassell said, "He's in me, man. I turn around, he's there. If I get a glass of water, he's there. Whenever I turn around, he's there."

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

The Clippers' Corey Maggette pulls down a rebound Saturday against Denver. Maggette played sparingly in the second half - the Nuggets went on a 10-0 run during his five minutes - and refused to speak with the media Sunday.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Box:

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND, BEST-OF-7 CLIPPERS LEAD, 1-0