Odom

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Clippers forward Lamar Odom was suspended for five games by the NBA on Monday for violating the league's anti-drug policy, his second such punishment in less than a year.

No other details were announced. The NBA is not allowed to disclose information about the testing or treatment of any player in the program. Even those in the Clippers organization are in the dark regarding the details, according to coach Alvin Gentry and Joe Safety, the team's vice president of communications.

"I am very disappointed," Clippers vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor said. "Lamar has let his teammates down as well as our entire organization.

"At the same time, we must remain supportive and available to help him confront this issue in a positive and corrective way."

The news of Odom's latest punishment put a damper on Gentry's 47th birthday. So did the $7,500 fine imposed on him by the league for verbal abuse of officials during Saturday's loss to Golden State.

"In NBA years, I'm 112," Gentry said before Monday night's game against Atlanta. "I've had root canals that were happier (than this birthday)."

The 6-foot-10 Odom averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists during the Clippers' 0-3 start. Corey Maggette started in his place against the Hawks.

"The fact that it happened is a disappointment to everyone in the organization," Gentry said. "It's never a good time for something like this to happen. It has a major effect on our team, but I'm not going to flush a season down the toilet because of this. Whoever's in that locker room, that's who we'll coach."

The Clippers lost four of five games during Odom's first drug suspension last March. When he returned, he said, "It was kind of immature. I'll never miss another game because of a suspension or anything like that again.

"Hopefully, enough people have been around me to really know me and understand me, and hopefully not let one mistake knock down everything I've tried to accomplish. Now I'm doing what I have to do with the NBA and with myself, so I won't be put in that position again."

Now that he is back in that spot, his teammates are continuing to support him.

"The last time, he made a quick, two-sentence apology, and that's all we needed. We don't need any more than that," said guard Eric Piatkowski, the senior member of the Clippers. "As far as on the floor is concerned, he's our leader, he's the go-to guy at the end of games, and he's going to be the man here for many years, as far as I'm concerned."