The Clippers still have little idea what to expect from their two main off-season acquisitions. Well, other than the fact that Baron Davis likes to wear scarves instead of ties and every pair of jeans looks baggy on Marcus Camby.
But with each preseason game that goes by, they're learning a few things about the combo guard they selected from Indiana with the seventh overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Eric Gordon, it seems, can get hot. Blistering hot. And has a propensity to get hot in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line.
For the second time in three contests, Gordon erupted in the final period to help the Clippers win a game.
Gordon scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Clippers held off Regal FC Barcelona 114-109 in the first game Sunday of the Staples Center Shootout.
"He's a guy that can catch fire. He can make shots, he's good off the dribble, he can make plays, that's pretty much going to be his role,"
Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.
"We thought that's what he could do, so he's really not surprising us, but it's still good to see."
Thursday in a victory over Sacramento, Gordon poured in 33 points in 31 minutes to help rally the Clippers from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit.
"I'm just trying to get into the flow of the game, since I've only been playing in the second and fourth quarters,"
Gordon said. "But when I hit a couple of shots, I always get going. It's like that every time."
With the Clippers again without Camby (bruised heel), Davis (sprained finger) and forward Tim Thomas (groin), and starting center Chris Kaman taking the night off, it's a good thing he did.
Barcelona, which features four players with NBA experience and two others who have been drafted, found its shooting touch late in the game, almost erasing what had been as much as a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Turkish-born forward Ersan Ilyasova, who played 66 games with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2006, led Barcelona with 20 points, 16 in the second half.
Point guard Juan Carlos Navarro, who torched the Lakers for 34 points Saturday night, had a relatively quiet 11 points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Second-year forward Al Thornton led the Clippers with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Thornton made only 4 of 13 shots, but made 15 of 20 free-throw attempts.
Dunleavy offered no updates on the status of his three injured veterans, but it's entirely possible all of them will miss the final three exhibitions.
Davis is scheduled to see a hand specialist today, Thomas said he was hoping to get back at some point this week, while Camby spoke only of being ready opening night.
"That's my goal,"
Camby said. "I really hate sitting on the sideline, especially being on a new team when you want to get that familiarity with the guys. ..."
"But we've got like four or five days of practice after the last game of the preseason so hopefully we can get a lot accomplished, then and be ready to roll."
When asked if that meant he was going to miss the exhibition finale Friday against his former team, the Denver Nuggets, Camby said he probably would.
"I did (want to play), but I don't think no one will be playing in that game, for them either, "
he said. "And we got them again pretty soon."
The Clippers open the regular season Oct. 29 against the Lakers.
Denver comes to town two nights later.
