Playing Time Is Motivation

Now it gets tougher.

The Clippers probably are going to finish in last place in the Pacific Division, with only the woebegone Denver Nuggets keeping them from the bottom spot in the Western Conference standings. They’re going to spend another June as an NBA lottery team, hoping to land the No. 1 pick and, perhaps, LeBron James.

The Clippers still have miles to run before they rest, however. They have 13 games and 3 1/2 weeks still to play, starting tonight against Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

Next: the Dallas Mavericks at Staples and the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena on Wednesday and Thursday nights -- as difficult a set of games on consecutive nights as can be scheduled these days in the NBA.

When the subject of motivation for the rest of a lost season came up the other day, interim Coach Dennis Johnson said, “I just talk. I don’t know if you can call it motivation. I know when they’re playing hard. If not, I take them out of the game. That’s motivation enough.”

Johnson has expanded his rotation, going with 10, 11 or sometimes 12 players recently in an attempt to keep everyone involved.

“There aren’t many guys going out there and playing 40 or 45 minutes,” guard Eric Piatkowski said. “Everybody’s playing 20-22 minutes. All guys want is an opportunity to play. When you get any opportunity to contribute, you play harder out there. Obviously, a lot of guys are happy right now.”

*

TONIGHT

vs. Houston, 7:30, FSN2

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150), KTNQ (1020, Spanish).

Records -- Clippers 22-47, Rockets 36-33.

Record vs. Rockets -- 2-1.

Update -- Unlike the Clippers, the Rockets have much to play for down the stretch. Houston, which lost to the Kings at Sacramento on Sunday, is jockeying for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West against the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers lost their most recent game to Houston on March 12.