Clippers’ Foul Season Continues

Rookie Lamar Odom moved closer Saturday to setting a team record that has been around for 17 seasons.

And, if he does break the mark, don’t look for him to talk about the record proudly.

For the 10th time, Odom fouled out of a game, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 109-99 defeat before 12,522 at Staples Center.

With five disqualifications over the final 23 games, Odom would tie a Clipper record for most in a season, shared by Tom Chambers and Stanley Roberts. Chambers set his mark over the 1982-83 season and Roberts in 1992-93.

“I’ve never fouled out of a game this quick before, but that’s how the year has been going for me,” said Odom, who picked up six fouls in only 19 minutes.

“I lead the league in foul-outs or disqualifications, depending on how you want to put it. I keep trying to play as aggressive as I’ve been playing. I’m just trying to play the game.”

When it came to fouls, Odom, who led the Clippers with 17 points, wasn’t alone.

With the officials calling the game tight, the Cavaliers shot 54 free throws and made 42, both season highs for a Clipper opponent. The Clippers went to the line 34 times, making 27.

“I can’t believe that they took 54 free throws,” Clipper interim Coach Jim Todd said. “I don’t think we are that kind of team.

“I thought we played well and I thought we played good enough to win. I really believed we were going to get a win . . . but unfortunately, we had major foul trouble.”

The result had the Clippers’ Maurice Taylor, Michael Olowokandi and Odom in foul trouble throughout.

Taylor lasted only 3:30 of the first quarter before leaving with three fouls.

“This was the longest first quarter I ever played in,” said Taylor, who had 13 points and eight rebounds in only 27 minutes.

“They were calling it real close out there. . . . They even called a five-second backdown violation and I haven’t seen that all year. I don’t know if [the officials] had a meeting before the game saying they had to make every call, but that’s what happened.”

This certainly was a game the Clippers could have won.

Sparked by point guard Jeff McInnis, signed to a 10-day contract last week, the Clippers jumped out early. With Troy Hudson and Eric Murdock out, McInnis started and helped the Clippers take a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Clippers limited Cleveland to 23.5% shooting while making 43.6% of their shots.

But the Clippers’ foul trouble began to build in the second quarter and Cleveland took advantage by making nine free throws to close to 57-52 at halftime.

“We didn’t really have a lot of spunk or energy [in the first half],” Cleveland Coach Randy Wittman said. “In the second half, it was a different story for us.”

Especially in the third quarter. Cleveland outscored the Clippers, 27-18, and was led by former Clipper Lamond Murray, who torched his former teammates for 10 of his 18 points in the quarter.

Whereas Murray bounced back from a four-point first half, Derek Anderson, who was traded to the Clippers for Murray during the off-season, never was able to get his game together.

Anderson finished with 12 points but missed 10 of 12 shots against his former team.

In the fourth quarter, the Clippers rallied but could never regain the lead. The closest they came was 88-87 midway through the quarter but less than a minute later, Odom left for good with his sixth foul.

“It seemed like we were short-handed because we had so much foul trouble,” Todd said. “We can’t beat anybody when [Taylor, Olowokandi and Odom] have to play limited minutes.

“We need to move our feet a little more and keep our hands to ourselves.”