Gentry Is Fed Up With Bad Defense

No longer is playing time guaranteed.

That was Coach Alvin Gentry’s message at practice Monday.

“Guys have to be accountable,” he said. “If guys are constantly getting beat [on defense], then we’re going to try somebody else. I’ve been more than patient. If guys can’t keep guys in front of them, we’ll try somebody else. It’s not a threat. We’re not going to tolerate guys driving by and leaving them in the game.”

What angered Gentry was the Clippers’ inability to keep several Golden State Warriors from driving for easy baskets Saturday. Golden State’s Gilbert Arenas took Keyon Dooling to the basket continually. Jason Richardson also had a red carpet rolled out for him by Clipper defenders.

“It wasn’t just one player,” Gentry said. “It wasn’t one guy. There were a bunch of guys driving to the basket. If a guy can’t do it [play sound defense], we’ve got to take him out and go with somebody else.”

Gentry also remained concerned about the Clippers’ play on the other end, harping about their inability to solve the double- and triple-teaming defense of the Warriors and Phoenix Suns against power forward Elton Brand and center Michael Olowokandi.

He at last acknowledged that a string of injuries this season has had an impact on the team’s disjointed offensive execution. He refused to use injuries as an excuse for sloppy defensive play, however.

The Clippers must give a better effort, he said.

“We get people back [from the injured list] and it’s OK to struggle here and there, but we can’t struggle defensively,” Gentry said. “Injuries have nothing to do with how you play defense.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Philadelphia, 6

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KXTA (1150), KTNQ (1020, Spanish).

Records -- Clippers 12-18, 76ers 18-12.

Record vs. 76ers -- 0-1.

Update -- The 76ers failed to reach 80 points in losses to Atlanta and Utah before losing, 104-98, to the Warriors on Monday night at Oakland. They held a players-only meeting after a 98-69 loss Saturday against the Jazz. The Clippers have won seven of the last eight against the 76ers in Southern California. Allen Iverson led Philadelphia with 34 points during a 101-99 overtime victory Nov. 6 over the Clippers.