CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: CLIPPERS NEED BO NOW.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

Irony never seems to work in favor of the Clippers. And tonight will be a perfect example.

Bo Outlaw makes his return to the Sports Arena tonight as a member of the Orlando Magic. His return coincides with Loy Vaught's possible season-ending back surgery and the Clippers desperate need for a rebounder.

They're so desperate, club officials are scouring CBA rosters for possible rebounders. All the while Outlaw is emerging as one of the most productive rebounders in the Eastern Conference.

Outlaw is averaging a career-high 10.2 points and 6.6 rebounds as a starter for the Magic. The Clippers would have liked to re-sign their workhorse forward, but they didn't and have been paying for it since then.

``I think there's no doubt we miss Bo,'' forward Rodney Rogers said. ``He did the little things and we have to find someone else to do that stuff. He always gave us a spark.''

The Clippers were hoping Vaught, along with an improved Lorenzen Wright and rookie Maurice Taylor, would fill Outlaw's role. But now Vaught is gone, meaning the forward-heavy lineup has lost some weight and some inside production.

``Bo always had energy,'' Clippers coach Bill Fitch said. ``He was one of my favorite players. Whoever guards him is going to have to know his tendencies.''

Orlando coach Chuck Daly is raving about Outlaw, calling him a version of Dennis Rodman (in his Pistons days, of course).

In the Clippers' 112-94 loss at Orlando last month, Fitch sensed Vaught was not himself when Outlaw, who scored 16 points and had seven rebounds, ran circles around the Clippers' best player.

``He just didn't have it,'' Fitch said. ``That's when I knew. He couldn't keep up with Bo.''

Don't get excited yet: Darrick Martin's confidence rose with 13 points against San Antonio, including three 3-pointers. That's the offense.

Fitch pointed out on Friday that Martin is still struggling on defense, where he had trouble fighting through David Robinson picks, allowing Avery Johnson to score easy layups.

The Clippers worked on that in Friday's practice.

``Darrick has to be able to go through those screens,'' Fitch said. ``He's not strong enough and he's afraid to get hurt. He doesn't have the quickness. But he's getting better offensively.''

Pooh Richardson will get the start tonight against Orlando despite shooting 33 percent from the field.

Barry's out: Brent Barry's leg bruise is causing a lot of trouble, so much so that he's having trouble moving laterally.

Barry, who's leading the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game, banged knees with New Jersey's Kerry Kittles on Nov. 28. He has not practiced since.

CLIPPERS VS. ORLANDO

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m., Sports Arena

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West 2; KEZY-FM (95.9); K-LITE-FM (92.7).

Clippers (3-14) update: The Clippers, coming off a huge overtime victory over San Antonio, try to win two straight for the first time this season. Brent Barry is out with a leg bruise. Eric Piatkowski will start in his place. Piatkowski has averaged 22 points and 8.5 rebounds in his two starts. It's no accident the Clippers have improved defensively and on the boards.

Magic (12-6) update: Orlando is playing well on a West Coast swing. The Magic is tied for first place in the Atlantic Division and has done most of its damage without Penny Hardaway (20.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who missed five games with a sore knee. The Magic was 5-0 in his absence, including a 112-94 decision over the Clippers on Nov. 18. . . . Forward Horace Grant is out with a calf strain.

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Box: CLIPPERS VS. ORLANDO (See Text)