Bad First Impression by Clippers

No contract talk. No second-guessing trades. No fretting over injuries. The Clippers had a game to play Wednesday night and it was time to worry about putting the ball in the basket more often than the opposition.

That other stuff had to be put aside when they tossed up the ball for the first time at Staples Center. An off-season of decidedly mixed results was best forgotten when the Clippers took the floor to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Judging by their lackluster play during a 98-96 loss to the woebegone Cavaliers before a nonsellout crowd of 16,822, the Clippers have a whole new set of concerns.

The Clippers simply didn’t click in their season opener, falling with a thud on Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ nine-foot turnaround jump shot with 2.8 seconds left and disappointing Coach Alvin Gentry.

“We’re not a very good team right now,� Gentry said. “Getting beat to loose balls and giving up 19 offensive rebounds really bothers me.... We got beat by hustle plays. We’ve got some guys who’ve got to get themselves ready to play.�

Corey Maggette’s basket with 7.3 seconds left pulled the Clippers into a 96-96 tie. But Ilgauskas, a 7-foot-3 center, never hesitated in sinking a jumper over Clipper center Michael Olowokandi. He scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter.

The Clipper loss had nothing to do with the fact that neither Olowokandi nor Elton Brand got the fat new contracts they coveted during the off-season.

It had a good deal more to do with the fact that neither Olowokandi nor Brand was fit to play during most of training camp. Olowokandi had tendinitis in his left knee and a strained left hip muscle. Brand underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 26.

What’s more, the Clippers seemed to believe they could defeat the Cavaliers by cruising in third gear for most of the game.

“This is a tough loss,� Gentry said.

Point guard Andre Miller certainly didn’t disappoint in his Clipper debut, moving the ball with precision. He scored 15 points with 14 assists in 41 minutes, showing the value of the July 30 trade that sent Darius Miles to Cleveland.

Olowokandi had 18 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes. Maggette and Quentin Richardson each added 17 points.

Ricky Davis led the Cavaliers with 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Under different circumstances, Brand might have sat out Wednesday. Another week of rest and rehabilitation on his knee wouldn’t have hurt, he said before the game. But he pushed hard to return in time to face the Cavaliers because he’s mindful of what’s at stake this season for the Clippers.

“Without a doubt,� Brand said. “The first two weeks [after having surgery], I just knew I was going to miss the start of the season. But we want to get off to an excellent start. Every game counts. We learned that last year when we let a few games slip away from us.�

It was clear right from the start that Brand wasn’t at his best, huffing and puffing around the court but not managing to accomplish much. He would play 27 minutes, but did not score. Brand reported “no pain,� in his knee at game’s end.

“It was very frustrating not being out there in the fourth quarter,� he said. “I’ll be ready soon.�

Miles received a warm reception from a Staples Center crowd that cheered his frequent flights toward the hoop in two highlight-reel seasons as a Clipper. Hours before the game, Miles made the rounds at Staples Center, hugging arena employees, signing autographs and spending a few minutes with his former teammates.

The game began and Miles, as if on cue, scored the first basket on a dunk. It was to be Cleveland’s only lead of the first half. Miles scored 15 points in 39 minutes.