Clippers Coach

Clippers owner Donald Sterling said before the team's Monday night game against the New Orleans Hornets that he hasn't given any thought to making a coaching change. And he sees no reason why Vinny Del Negro won't be the team's coach for the remainder of the season. "I like him," said Sterling. "I usually follow the advice of my people, and I think they care for him, like him and want him to succeed. And I think he will. " An Internet report that suggested Del Negro "has lost the team" and players no longer "want to play hard for him" sparked speculation the coach was another loss or two from being fired.

Slow and steady. Nice and easy. Efficient and unspectacular. That's what impressed the Clippers so much about playing against the San Antonio Spurs. "They play the same way whether they are down 20 or up 20," Blake Griffin said. "And they always play hard. " In fact, the Clippers had the Spurs down by 24 points in the second quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center on Saturday. The Spurs cut it to 10 by halftime and took the lead in the third, never turning back.

At some point, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro hopes, starting center DeAndre Jordan will become a factor in the first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. In the first three games, that hasn't been the case. "It's really D.J. gets the first look because he's the starter," Del Negro said. "And then as the game goes on, the matchups and who is playing well and the rhythm of the game, sometimes that dictates a lot of that. " That means that Reggie Evans will get more playing time at center.

SAN ANTONIO - For at least a day or two, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro was free of criticism and gaining credibility. His team had just pulled off an unlikely Game 7 upset of the Memphis Grizzles on the road, and praise for the coach flew in from all directions. It was a very different scene Tuesday after the Clippers were manhandled in a 16-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and a dejected Del Negro kept his head bowed for much of the postgame press conference. It will be up to Del Negro to prove that he can make winning adjustments.

Quietly and reflectively, Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes talked about how their names have been mentioned in Clippers trade rumors. Neither expected to be traded before Thursday's noon PDT deadline, but neither player was positive that he would remain a Clipper. Gomes has stayed abreast of the situation, saying that he has heard about speculation that he and Bledsoe would go to Portland for Jamal Crawford . Gomes said he even heard that the Clippers were trying to get Utah's Raja Bell . "I'm an Internet junkie," Gomes said.

SACRAMENTO — When told about the surreal news conference Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy had Thursday in which he said All-Star center Dwight Howard had asked management to fire him, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro had sympathy for his coaching brother. Del Negro understood where Van Gundy was coming from, because he had come under intense pressure when the Clippers had a three-game losing streak last month. Del Negro said it's important for the organization, players and coaches to stand together through the tough times.

Vinny Del Negro eased his way into the Clippers players' lounge and plopped down in a black chair. His eyes were bright and his spirits were high as he pulled the recliner back and smiled. Life is good being the Clippers coach these days. Sure, the pressure is on Del Negro to succeed with all the talent the Clippers have assembled, but, he said, it's the kind of challenge he has embraced. "The pressure is more exciting to me than not having it because it means people think we're relevant," Del Negro said.

Slow and steady. Nice and easy. Efficient and unspectacular. That's what impressed the Clippers so much about playing against the San Antonio Spurs. "They play the same way whether they are down 20 or up 20," Blake Griffin said. "And they always play hard. " In fact, the Clippers had the Spurs down by 24 points in the second quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center on Saturday. The Spurs cut it to 10 by halftime and took the lead in the third, never turning back.

'When I was the Clippers' coach, being in L.A., I was in mudslides, a riot and an earthquake.... This was surreal.' Larry Brown, U.S. Olympic basketball coach, who was in New York during Thursday's blackout

The last sight of Chris Paul was of him shaking his head leaving the Clippers locker room and walking down the hallway inside Staples Center with his brother C.J. Paul after Saturday's tough overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Less than 24 hours later, when the Clippers arrived at practice Sunday, Paul still was feeling the pain of his mishaps that played a role in his team losing a game the 6-0 All-Star and his teammates thought was wrapped up. Instead, Paul's turnover — a pass that went to San Antonio's Gary Neal with the Clippers leading by three points — allowed Neal to make a three-pointer with 5.7 seconds left to tie the score of a game L.A. lost in overtime.

SAN ANTONIO -- Chris Paul doesn't want to add any more pressure to the Clippers' bench just because they will be facing a San Antonio Spurs bench that is one of the best in the NBA. The Clippers' bench bailed out them at Memphis in Game 7 of the first-round series. The Clippers go 10 deep off their bench, the Spurs are just as deep, playing with 10 quality players. And San Antonio has Manu Ginobili , one of the best sixth men in the game. "It's very important for our bench to play well, but at the same time, it's up to us starters to get off to a good start," Paul said.

At least Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is fully aware that he has not performed at a level in the NBA first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies that's acceptable. And it all really showed in Game 5, when Jordan had zero rebounds in 18 minutes, 38 seconds. Zero! When the Clippers matched the four-year, $42.8-million offer sheet Jordan got from the Golden State Warriors in December, more was expected of him. "I'm just not playing well," Jordan said.

At some point, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro hopes, starting center DeAndre Jordan will become a factor in the first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. In the first three games, that hasn't been the case. "It's really D.J. gets the first look because he's the starter," Del Negro said. "And then as the game goes on, the matchups and who is playing well and the rhythm of the game, sometimes that dictates a lot of that. " That means that Reggie Evans will get more playing time at center.

ATLANTA — Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro wasn't happy with his team, going off on players after a lackluster effort against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. "They outworked us. They outrebounded us," Del Negro said. "They got loose balls. We didn't really give ourselves a chance.… I didn't think our starters were very good. I didn't think our bench was very good and that's what you get. " Blake Griffin (36 points) and Chris Paul (34 points) were the only starters to score in double figures.

Three days later, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro still was upset about the flagrant 2 foul Suns reserve center Robin Lopez committed against Blake Griffin on Thursday night in Phoenix. Del Negro is not happy that Lopez wasn't suspended by the NBA. Lopez, who was ejected from the game against the Clippers, played in the Suns' next game on Saturday night. "I do have an issue with how Blake got hit that hard and he's in pain and he's still in pain and the player that did that played yesterday," Del Negro said.

The Clippers' victory Monday night over the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the NBA's top teams and a serious challenger to win the NBA championship, was a stirring moment. The Clippers also clinched a playoff berth Monday, going to the postseason for the first time since the 2005-06 season. But Tuesday the Clippers went back to work preparing for another tough opponent in the Denver Nuggets. "It's a sense of accomplishment, especially with everything we went through this short season," said forward Caron Butler , referring to the team's three-game losing streak last month that created a tense environment in Clippersland.

His role has changed, putting more of a spotlight on Randy Foye because of who he has replaced in the starting lineup. Foye had been a reserve guard for the Clippers, but now he's a starter because Chauncey Billups is out for the rest of the season because of a torn left Achilles' tendon. Foye started his third straight game Saturday night against the Charlotte Bobcats. He scored 12 points on five-for-seven shooting, making two of four three-point shots. "My main thing is team success," Foye said.

At least Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is fully aware that he has not performed at a level in the NBA first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies that's acceptable. And it all really showed in Game 5, when Jordan had zero rebounds in 18 minutes, 38 seconds. Zero! When the Clippers matched the four-year, $42.8-million offer sheet Jordan got from the Golden State Warriors in December, more was expected of him. "I'm just not playing well," Jordan said.

The versatility of Nick Young has allowed Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro to use him at shooting guard and small forward. Young is a natural shooting guard, but with Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe getting a lot of the time as the reserve guards, Del Negro increasingly has used Young to back up small forward Caron Butler . "I noticed once Mo came back, Vinny's been wanting a little bit more scoring off the bench," Young said....

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Clippers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, but both losses have similar characteristics. The Clippers fell behind by big margins and made late, furious rallies, only to fall short. So during Tuesday's film session in preparation for their game Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro warned his team about bringing intensity from the start. The Clippers trailed the Lakers by 15 points, then took a lead, but lost last Wednesday.