CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: GENTRY SEES NO ADVANTAGE.

Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer

Alvin Gentry was so set on not being misquoted about Phil Jackson that he ended up saying this line: ``The guy's a great coach. He's the greatest coach in NBA history.''

Despite that declaration, the absence of ``the greatest coach'' on the sidelines during Tuesday's game against the Lakers did not make things easier on the Clippers - at least, according to Gentry.

``Why would it be an advantage?'' Gentry asked. ``I would rather have Phil here and (Shaquille O'Neal) not here. They have very capable assistants, and they're going to do a great job.''

Gentry then dismissed a question about Jackson's worth, obviously not wanting his comment to be misconstrued that the Lakers' coach doesn't matter.

``Obviously, he's an integral part of what they do,'' Gentry said. ``He was in Chicago, and he is here.''

As far as the coaching respect being mutual, however, that is not clear. In Jackson's recent book, ``More Than a Game,'' the Clippers coach is referred to as ``Allan Gentry.''

--Pike milestone on hold: Eric Piatkowski was held scoreless Tuesday night and remains one point shy of his 5,000th NBA point, which would be the sixth-most of any player in a Clippers uniform.

Piatkowski reminisced about his points and said: ``As far as remembering certain points, it's difficult. I've been fortunate to have some last-second shots to win or send games into overtime. Those don't happen as much as you might think, so I remember those.''

As for his first basket, Piatkowski could look back on his rookie season in 1994-95 and remember that the team started its season in Yokohama, Japan, against the Portland Trail Blazers.

``I got the ball on the left side, faked left and bounced the ball off the glass,'' Piatkowski said. ``It was the first time I touched the ball in a regular-season NBA game, and I figured I should shoot to get the jitters out. I remember that Clyde Drexler was guarding me.''

--Pinpointing the fall: Elton Brand was asked whether there was a specific point during this season when he knew the Clippers were in trouble. The date he cited was Jan. 5, when the team completed a season-high six-game losing streak to fall to 12-22.

Five games earlier, Lamar Odom played in his first game of the season after missing the first 29 with a sore right ankle.

--Warriors in the wings: Win or lose, the Clippers typically have emotional games against their Staples Center co-tenant, the Lakers. Despite that emotion, the Clippers will have to recover quickly to face the visiting Golden State Warriors tonight.

Golden State (27-30) is two places above the Clippers in the Pacific Division, a big turnaround from last season, when the Warriors were in the cellar.

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CLIPPERS vs. GOLDEN STATE

- Joe Stevens