Mo Williams

From Cleveland -- What a bummer. Here I am in the middle of a fairy tale, with the Clippers playing like champions, only to stumble across a stereotypical selfish athlete hell-bent on making a fool of himself. Until now it's been a love fest, the Clippers seemingly doing nothing wrong. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin are acting as if they were raised together; Chris Paul's spreading around the goodwill as much as he does the basketball; and Caron Butler's comeback story is beyond inspirational.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Midway through the second half Wednesday, the Clippers bench looked like a hospital waiting room. Mo Williams was dealing with a right forearm contusion. Eric Bledsoe had a left elbow contusion. And Nick Young's right (shooting) thumb was sprained. The three of them sustained their bumps and bruises during the Clippers' 105-98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum on Wednesday night in Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series.

The Clippers' sparkplug reserve guard Mo Williams will be out of commission indefinitely with an injured left big toe, Coach Vinny Del Negro said Saturday. "It's going to be a little bit," Del Negro said. "I don't know exactly. We got good results back that there isn't a tear or anything like that. It's a pain-tolerance thing. It's very painful. He's going to get a lot of therapy. " Williams, who wore a boot and was walking on crutches, was expected to see a specialist on Saturday for the injury he suffered in Thursday's loss to the New Orleans Hornets.

DENVER — This Clippers train just keeps on rolling, getting so many hands helping during a 104-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night that pushed L.A.'s winning streak to five straight. The hands of Kenyon Martin provided two of the biggest plays when the game hung in the balance. One of the plays was a rebound basket — his only rebound of the game — and the other a blocked shot. The hands of Mo Williams provided big-time fourth-quarter three-pointers, one that saved the Clippers from committing a 24-second violation late in the game.

This isn't the way Clippers guard Mo Williams hoped his season would go, coming off the bench and being a sparkplug instead of a starter. But this is his role now, coming off the bench amid a glut of guards and seizing those moments with all of his considerable talent. He has been doing it well, biting his tongue and biding his time and excelling in a difficult situation. "I feel good. I always feel pretty good," he said Thursday before the Clippers' 98-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting some help for LeBron James. High-scoring Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams is headed to Cleveland to join James as part of a three-team trade that also involves Oklahoma City. The six-player deal completed Wednesday reshapes the rebuilding Bucks while giving Cleveland an additional scoring threat and sends forward Desmond Mason to Oklahoma. "Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term.

Reporting from Salt Lake City — It was like being at the hospital, listening to Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro give medical updates on his team. Chris Paul remains day-to-day after he missed his second straight game because of a strained left hamstring. Mo Williams shot before Tuesday night's game, a 108-79 loss to the Jazz, but the backup point guard missed his third straight game because of a sore right foot. Brian Cook didn't play in his second straight game because of a sprained ankle, and guard Eric Bledsoe , who hasn't played all season (right knee surgery)

Chris Paul and Mo Williams wouldn't let the Clippers finish their six-game, 10-day trip as losers. Mo Williams and Chris Paul were not going to let the Clippers continue their losing ways against the Spurs when they play in San Antonio. No matter which order the two point guards were placed in, they were the primary forces behind the Clippers' impressive 120-108 victory over the Spurs on Friday night at the AT&T Center. They combined to score more than half of the Clippers' points, lighting up the Spurs' backcourt by producing 69 points.

DENVER — This Clippers train just keeps on rolling, getting so many hands helping during a 104-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night that pushed L.A.'s winning streak to five straight. The hands of Kenyon Martin provided two of the biggest plays when the game hung in the balance. One of the plays was a rebound basket — his only rebound of the game — and the other a blocked shot. The hands of Mo Williams provided big-time fourth-quarter three-pointers, one that saved the Clippers from committing a 24-second violation late in the game.

The pain in Mo Williams' right foot surfaced toward the end of training camp last month, becoming more intense as the regular season progressed through January, finally forcing the Clippers guard to shut it down for three games. Since his return from a sore foot, Williams has been playing as if he has been possessed, seemingly making every shot he takes, making plays for the Clippers in the last three games that have been needed with Chris Paul sitting out his fifth consecutive game Sunday because of a strained left hamstring.

The Clippers have seven regular-season games left in a condensed season that has taken its share of twists and turns. But now that the Clippers are two weeks away from the start of the playoffs, and with the team currently in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, they are trying to become even more of a cohesive group. "Yeah, absolutely, we're starting to get locked in because it's about that time," Mo Williams said. "In any relationship, the more you are together, the better relationship that you will have.

MINNEAPOLIS — It was as if Mo Williams had never been out, as if he hadn't missed the last 11 games because of a sprained left big toe. Williams scored 14 points off the bench on six-for-11 shooting, two for four on three-pointers Thursday night in the 95-82 victory over Minnesota. He also had five assists. He had not played a game in three weeks, but Williams was the same player he has been for the Clippers all season. Williams said credit for that goes to Clippers trainer Jasen Powell and his staff.

In the early stages of the last few games, the Clippers have gone inside to center DeAndre Jordan and let him operate, with some success. But one of the main reasons for going to Jordan early is that he has been the defensive anchor for the team, and Coach Vinny Del Negro thinks it is only right to keep his man happy. "If DJ is going to cover everybody's back all the time, he needs to touch the ball a little bit," said Del Negro, whose team had won six in a row before playing the Lakers on Wednesday.

The Clippers' sparkplug reserve guard Mo Williams will be out of commission indefinitely with an injured left big toe, Coach Vinny Del Negro said Saturday. "It's going to be a little bit," Del Negro said. "I don't know exactly. We got good results back that there isn't a tear or anything like that. It's a pain-tolerance thing. It's very painful. He's going to get a lot of therapy. " Williams, who wore a boot and was walking on crutches, was expected to see a specialist on Saturday for the injury he suffered in Thursday's loss to the New Orleans Hornets.

The Clippers now have a crowded backcourt again after they acquired Nick Young from the Washington Wizards Thursday in a three-team deal. Young eventually will be the starter at shooting guard besides Chris Paul . That means that Randy Foye , who has been the starter since Chauncey Billups went down because of a season-ending left Achilles' tendon injury, will go back to the bench. The Clippers also have top reserve guard Mo Williams and energizer Eric Bledsoe . Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro had a difficult time trying to rotate four players into his lineup.

For as much as the Clippers have played inconsistent basketball over the last 1 1/2 months, for as much as they have struggled on the road and at home, they still had not lost three consecutive games all season. That still is something the Clippers can hang on to after a 96-82 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Staples Center. The Clippers had lost four of their last five and the first two of a six-game homestand, leading to concern about how they would break free of the doldrums.

RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY CAVALIERS STILL HERE? 1. CLEVELAND (37-11) Who are these guys? 4-0 without Mo Williams. Actually, who is this guy? (1) 2. LAKERS (36-11) Bynum just lucky not to get smoke inhalation from whoever said he was All-Star. (2) ONE BRICK SHY OF LOAD 3. ORLANDO (31-16) Back on feet, just went 6-1, even dragging Vince Carter behind them. (4) 4. DENVER (31-15)

The Clippers have seven regular-season games left in a condensed season that has taken its share of twists and turns. But now that the Clippers are two weeks away from the start of the playoffs, and with the team currently in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, they are trying to become even more of a cohesive group. "Yeah, absolutely, we're starting to get locked in because it's about that time," Mo Williams said. "In any relationship, the more you are together, the better relationship that you will have.

Chris Paul and Mo Williams wouldn't let the Clippers finish their six-game, 10-day trip as losers. Mo Williams and Chris Paul were not going to let the Clippers continue their losing ways against the Spurs when they play in San Antonio. No matter which order the two point guards were placed in, they were the primary forces behind the Clippers' impressive 120-108 victory over the Spurs on Friday night at the AT&T Center. They combined to score more than half of the Clippers' points, lighting up the Spurs' backcourt by producing 69 points.