Clippers: Injuries seem to be catching up to Cassell

 

LOS ANGELES - Sam Cassell's best Willis Reed imitation took a serious hit on Sunday when he failed to score in 19 minutes and struggled throughout the Los Angeles Clippers' 105-100 loss to Sacramento.

It was Sam Cassell's third consecutive game, as he tries to deal with chronic back spasms. He accepted responsibility for his no-point performance and took blame for part of the Los Angeles Clippers' devastating loss.

"I don't think the coaching staff had anything to do with it," Sam Cassell said. "That comes from the players. It starts with E.B. (Elton Brand) and myself. So if you point fingers, point fingers at E.B. and myself. E.B. had a tremendous game, but it takes more than that."

Although it might seem like an innocuous factor, the Los Angeles Clippers had a 12:30 p.m. start on Sunday, and that did not help out the 37-year-old Sam Cassell and his back spasms. For a 7:30 p.m. game, he typically has two or three treatments before the game.

"I don't think the time hurt the team, but it hurt me, personally," Sam Cassell said. "It's just hard. I had treatment at 10 o'clock. It was only one

treatment, and I didn't have the comfort level I had the past two games. I didn't feel comfortable at all."

Mobley goes down

If the Los Angeles Clippers' problems weren't bad enough, the status of Cuttino Mobley is to be determined. He went down with a strained left calf with 2:58 to play and was in major pain.

"Something popped," Mobley said. "I don't know what it was. I've just got to go home and pray on it."

Thomas vs. refs

Tim Thomas finished with an OK statistical line with 13 points and five rebounds, although he missed a few easy rebounds in the first half.

On a 3-point shot late in the Los Angeles Clippers' loss, he appeared to be fouled, and that non-call spurred him to question the officiating.

"It's been that way all year with E.B. not getting calls," Thomas said. "I mean this was a home game for us. Supposedly, we're a better team than that team, fighting for the playoffs. And we still can't get calls. So I don't know. I don't understand what's going on."

 

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