It’s a Family Matter Now

Guard Eric Piatkowski didn’t plan it this way, but he couldn’t have picked a better time to go on the injured list.

At least for himself and his family, if not the Clippers.

Piatkowski, suffering from a strained abdominal muscle, is out for all four games of a trip beginning tonight. But he has plenty to occupy his attention. His wife, Kristen, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Paige Lynn, Monday morning.

TONIGHT

at Indiana

* 4 p.m.

* Fox Sports

West 2

Site--Market Square Arena, Indianapolis.

Radio--KEZY-FM (95.9), LITE-FM (92.7), KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Clippers 16-55, Pacers 49-22.

Record vs. Pacers--0-1.

Update--The Clippers begin their last long trip of the season at Indianapolis, then have games in New York on Wednesday, Philadelphia on Thursday and Cleveland on Sunday. After this, all the Clippers have left are single-game trips to Utah and Portland. While the Clippers are coming off a rare blowout, having beaten the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, 108-86, the Pacers will be trying to recover from the worst offensive performance since the installation of the 24-second clock for the 1954-55 season. Indiana scored a league-record low 55 points in losing to the San Antonio Spurs, 74-55. There will, however, be one big difference tonight. Guard Reggie Miller, the Pacers’ leading scorer with a 19.9 average, didn’t play Sunday. He was serving a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul committed on Friday but will be back tonight.