Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Team

Time: 12:30 p.m. On the air: TV: Channel 5; Radio: 830. Where: Staples Center. VS. DETROIT Records: Clippers 8-24, Pistons 20-11. Record vs. Pistons (2007-08): 0-2. Update: The schedule continues with an unabated tough stretch. The Pistons come into town on a six-game winning streak despite a host of recent injuries. This intersects with the Clippers' losing run, which hit six games on Friday night at Phoenix with a 106-98 defeat to the Suns.

Agents often have the ear of their clients, giving the player advice on when to push through an injury and when to shut it down. With the rash of injuries the Clippers have, Coach Mike Dunleavy wondered what role, if any, the agents for the team's injured players have had in the players returning later rather than sooner. "When guys get injured, typically you have agents that are going to tell them, 'There's no reason to hurry back.

And another Clipper goes down. And in the process, the Clippers lost yet another heartbreaking game, the losing streak extended to seven games in a row, the 88-87 defeat dealt by the Detroit Pistons on Sunday after rookie Eric Gordon was unable to finish off his best game.

Out: Paul Davis. In: Cheikh Samb. Out: Fred Jones. Probably back in: Jones. Suffice to say, it was an active day for the Clippers. They shuffled a few deck chairs -- no cruel jokes, please -- with a variety of changes Monday and shot down an out-there trade rumor before leaving for tonight's game at Dallas.

Dirk Nowitzki blocked a shot and then scored with 37 seconds remaining to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Clippers, 107-102, on Tuesday night. Dallas got started with its highest-scoring quarter of the season and had an 18-point lead before halftime against the Clippers, who had only eight players in uniform because of numerous lingering injuries. The Clippers' NBA-worst losing streak is now at eight games.

AT SAN ANTONIO Time: 5:30 PST. On the air: TV: Prime; Radio: 1260. Where: SBC Center. Records: Clippers 8-26, Spurs 23-11. Record vs. Spurs: 0-1. Update: It was a bit of a quirky day for the Clippers. But then again, aren't they all? Swingman Hassan Adams, a Westchester High product, was a Clipper for about an hour, if that, on Wednesday. They acquired him from the Toronto Raptors, along with cash considerations, for a future conditional second-round draft choice and then waived him.

Tony Parker scored 19 points and San Antonio beat the skidding Clippers, 106-84, on Thursday night, giving the Spurs their ninth win in the last 10 games despite getting only eight points from Tim Duncan. The Clippers have lost nine straight games. The Spurs (24-11), winners of three consecutive games, have a 1 1/2 -game lead over second-place New Orleans in the Southwest Division. Roger Mason scored 18 points for the Spurs. Michael Finley had 15 and Manu Ginobili 13 off the bench.

Rasual Butler scored a season-high 27 points, and the New Orleans Hornets handed the Clippers their 10th straight loss, 107-80 on Friday night. Butler made six three-pointers against the Clippers, also a season high. The Hornets combined for 11 three-pointers in all and had seven players score in double figures. Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, dunking three times on alley-oop feeds from Chris Paul.

Funny thing about these trade rumors involving the Clippers' Chris Kaman. Rarely has an injured player been mentioned quite so often. The "reports" about Kaman have ranged from the Clippers thinking about moving him to various teams thinking about acquiring his services. There should just be a standing headline on the home page of hoopshype.com: "Kaman still a Clipper . . . for now." Never mind that the Clippers have maintained they aren't of mind to move him.

You know it's not a good sign when the coach has accumulated more technicals than wins this season. That would be nine to eight. The Clippers have been stuck on eight wins since beating the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 19, and their losing streak hit 11 games on Sunday. Phoenix beat the undermanned Clippers, 109-103, behind 26 points from Amare Stoudemire and 21 points each from Grant Hill and Jason Richardson.