Bench Production Still Not a Strength

MINNEAPOLIS â€”  The Clippers haven’t received much scoring from their bench recently, and didn’t in Tuesday’s 93-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since contributing a season-high 48 points Nov. 15 in a 109-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Clipper reserves have combined for double figures only three times in the last six games with a high of 15 points.

Point guard Sam Cassell, slowed by flu-like symptoms, scored 13 points off the bench against the Timberwolves, but none of the Clipper regular reserves has had 10 points or more during the stretch.

“Well, they’re not in the upper echelon right now in terms of scoring,� forward Elton Brand said. “But we have guys who can improve and are working to improve, and that just has to correlate to the court.�

The Clipper bench wasn’t considered a strength before training camp, and that was before second-year point guard Shaun Livingston was sidelined because of back problems, backup center Zeljko Rebraca experienced a recurrence of an irregular heartbeat and forward Walter McCarty sat out the first six games because of a cut right thumb.

Those losses weakened the second unit, Coach Mike Dunleavy acknowledged, and the 7-foot, 265-pound Rebraca, scheduled to undergo a noninvasive procedure today to correct his heart problem, is expected to sit out at least one month.

“At times, obviously, we’ve struggled a little bit to find some scoring off the bench,� Dunleavy said. “But for most of those guys, that’s not necessarily their roles.�

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TONIGHT

at Cleveland, 4 PST, FSN West 2

Site -- Quicken Loans Arena.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Clippers 10-4, Cavaliers 9-4.

Record vs. Cavaliers (2004-05) -- 1-1.

Update -- After an eight-game winning streak, the Cavaliers have lost two in a row. They are 6-1 at home, however, winning by an average of 16.6 points there. Forward LeBron James scored a season-high 38 points in Saturday’s 89-85 loss to Minnesota. James is averaging 28.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.