--F Zach Randolph faces an all-but-certain hefty fine and significant suspension for punching Phoenix Suns reserve post player Louis Amundson in the face Tuesday. The two had tussled over a first-quarter rebound when Randolph shoved Amundson to the floor. When Amundson arose, he stood face-to-face, inches from Randolph, who responded with his punch. It resulted in an immediate ejection for Randolph. The Clippers already were shorthanded with center Chris Kaman and forward-center Marcus Camby not in uniform.
--The 81 first-half points that the Clippers allowed to Phoenix not only were an opponent high for the season, but they were the second-most points scored by a team in a half this season. It fell just short of the 82 points that the New York Knicks scored in a game last month against the Golden State Warriors. --The Clippers continue to shuffle their roster with non-descript moves. Center Cheikh Samb recently was waived, after what amounted to be an extended audition with the team. He was acquired in a trade with the Denver Nuggets for cash considerations and a conditional future second-round pick. Now, the Clippers have acquired center Alex Acker from the Detroit Pistons, again for cash considerations. Acker's audition began against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 10 points off the bench.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Obviously, we didn't have a lot of bigs. Zach getting thrown out of the game was just a nightmare for us trying to play against their size." -- Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, following the loss to the Phoenix Suns.
