Clippers or Thunder? Somebody has to win

"Just right now we want to get one," the Clippers' Marcus Camby said Tuesday, looking ahead to Wednesday night's game between the 1-9 Clippers and the 1-10 Oklahoma City Thunder. "We want to get one. Tomorrow we're playing against Oklahoma for last place. Somebody has to win, and God, I hope it's us."

The momentum the Clippers gained from their lone victory, Nov. 9 against Dallas, lasted about a nanosecond. Following that were demoralizing losses to Sacramento and Golden State and a close call, an 86-83 loss to San Antonio on Monday night.

"The real question I'm looking for: Who are the guys that are going to continue to work to do the things to make us better as opposed to the guys heading for the hills?" said Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy.

The hills or, well, traveling to Oklahoma City.

An odd schedule has kept the Clippers tied closely to Staples Center. The NBA season is 23 days old today and they have left the building once, for a quick trip to Utah.

This is the Clippers' first multi-game trip. They also play at Philadelphia (and against former teammate Elton Brand) Friday night, and then at New Jersey the next day.

"It seems like we've been here forever," Camby said.

Said Dunleavy: "It can't be any worse."

In hindsight, a long trip earlier might have been a better thing for the Clippers, considering the massive turnover from last season.

"You've got to change something. . . . That's tough. I mean, you lose eight games at home and you have to win 16 on the road, automatically," Cuttino Mobley said. "You've just got to stick with it."

Shot selection

Taking better shots was the topic du jour before the team left for this trip. Dunleavy talked about the shooting process, or more to the point, a lack of a common sense.

There has been a reluctance to step inside the three-point line when those shots aren't dropping.

"I've been a shooter where I didn't miss a shot," Dunleavy said. "And I've been a shooter where I couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. When you can't throw it in the ocean, you've got to go back to the fundamentals."

Said Camby: "Guys are trying to get it all done at once."

Camby talked about playing on struggling teams in the past, laughing about his first year in Denver. This group, he says, bears little resemblance to that Nuggets team, or to his second season in Toronto.

"You can easily come in here and be down about yourself," he said. "But if you look around the gym, you've got a lot of guys putting in extra time."

Dillman is a Times staff writer.

lisa.dillman@latimes.com