Odom Makes Lasting Impression

Maybe rookie Lamar Odom can carry the Clippers to respectability.

With 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter Friday night, the Clippers were all but out of it against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

They trailed by seven points and after getting beat down and embarrassed by the Lakers three nights earlier, the Clippers were looking at their second consecutive troubling defeat.

But Odom took charge. He had a key defensive rebound, an assist and scored four points down the stretch, including a game-winning basket with 11.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a dramatic 92-91 victory over the Warriors before 11,217.

“It was Christmas present that definitely came early,” Clipper Coach Chris Ford said.

“We made two big stops at the end there.”

Odom finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Clippers (6-17). Troy Hudson added 20 points and seven rebounds and Michael Olowokandi added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers.

What triggered the Clippers’ comeback was a double-technical called on the Warriors’ Chris Mills at the 1:11 mark. Mills was ejected for arguing with officials after he was elbowed in the back and then accidentally kicked in the head by Odom on a drive.

Odom was not called for a foul on the play and made two free throws and Hudson made the two technical free throws to help the Clippers close to within, 91-88.

Following a Golden State turnover, Odom passed to Tyrone Nesby for a dunk to cut Golden State’s lead to a point with 50 seconds left.

The Warriors’ Vonteego Cummings then missed a jump shot and Odom grabbed the rebound with 25.2 seconds left.

On the Clippers’ final possession, Odom went one-on-one against Donyell Marshall and beat him from the right side of the lane with a bank shot to give the Clippers the lead.

“I caught Marshall with his hands down . . . he was playing me for the drive,” said Odom, who had six turnovers. “I just hit the little runner.”

Golden State had a final chance but the Clippers’ defense didn’t allow the Warriors to get off a good shot.

“I thought we were close to losing and I just wanted to go to the hole,” Odom said. “I was surprised [Mills] would get those technicals at that time but that made it a game.”

Golden State took the floor with a roster hit hard by injuries. The Warriors were without point guard Mookie Blaylock (strained left calf), forward/center Terry Cummings (strained left groin), center Adonal Foyle (strained right foot) and forward Antawn Jamison (strained left hip flexor).

The Clippers, however, didn’t shed any tears for the Warriors.

The Clippers had to play without starting shooting guard Derek Anderson, the team’s top scorer, and backup forward/center Brian Skinner, the team’s second-best rebounder, because of injuries. With Anderson and Skinner sidelined because of ankle sprains, the Clippers had to rely heavily on seldom-used players Charles Jones and Keith Closs.

But the Clippers seem to be at their best this season when they don’t have a full roster. When Taylor and Anderson were down with injuries and Nesby was not with the team to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter, the Clippers won three of four games.

The Clippers started fast, jumping out to an 11-point lead but they led by only 25-24 after 12 minutes because of fouls. Golden State made eight of 10 free throws in the first period and battled the Clippers close the rest of the first half behind John Starks and Jason Caffey, who combined for 16 points over the first two quarters.

After leading by five points at halftime, the Clippers came out flat in the third quarter. The Warriors had a 14-4 run early in the period to take a 56-51 lead with Starks doing most of the damage.

Olowokandi and Jones made sure the Clippers took a 70-66 lead into the fourth quarter. Olowokandi scored five points and Jones made a three-point basket in the final three minutes of the period.