They Hope to Put Pieces Together

A day of practice and travel today, a game Friday against the Suns at Phoenix, then the Clippers figure to look a good deal more like themselves Saturday against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

In other words, they hope they will look like the team many expected to post a winning record and gain a playoff berth by season’s end. It’s the first in a stretch of seven of the next 10 games at home.

Injuries have left the Clippers well short of their goals after posting only 12 victories in 28 games to start the season. Every member of the starting five (plus several key reserves) has been sidelined for at least one game because of injuries ranging from serious to mild.

The Clippers have a few noteworthy victories, including an overtime decision against the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets, a home victory over the San Antonio Spurs, a road victory over the Orlando Magic, two victories over Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets and a romp over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

They also have squandered double-digit leads in losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets.

“Two steps forward and one step back is not going to be good enough,” Coach Alvin Gentry said the other day. “We can’t keep doing that. We’ve got to get in a situation where we have the same guys in there [the lineup] night in and night out.”

*

After taking Christmas Day off, the Clippers hope to learn more about the status of several players for Friday’s game at Phoenix, including Corey Maggette, who has been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Nov. 29. Lamar Odom is expected to play Saturday against the Warriors.