Livingston May Miss First Month

Backup point guard Shaun Livingston is expected to sit out the season opener and could miss the first month of the season because of a back injury, Coach Mike Dunleavy said Sunday.

A second MRI exam of Livingston’s back recently revealed continued irritation in the injured area, and the second-year player is scheduled to undergo further tests today under the supervision of back specialist William Dillin.

The Clippers said they hoped the additional tests would rule out structural damage, but Livingston would be sidelined at least another two weeks in a best-case scenario.

It’s another disappointing development for the Clippers and their first-round selection (fourth overall) in the 2004 draft. Livingston was sidelined 52 games in his rookie season because of knee and shoulder injuries.

Dunleavy said he didn’t know how many games Livingston might miss. “Two weeks? Four weeks? Whatever it takes, I guess,” he said.

Because of Livingston’s lower-back strain, the Clippers signed point guard Anthony Goldwire, who did not play in Sunday’s 99-80 exhibition victory over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Goldwire, 34, who has played in parts of seven seasons in the NBA, is unfamiliar with Dunleavy’s offense, and the Clippers open the season Nov. 2 against the Seattle SuperSonics.

“We went over some sets with him, some generic stuff,” Dunleavy said. “We’ll go over more [today]. We’ll keep it pretty simple.”

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Rookie point guard Daniel Ewing continued his impressive play, scoring 16 points on seven-for-11 shooting in 29 minutes.

Dunleavy has noticed Ewing’s strong defense and consistent shooting, and the former Duke standout has moved up the depth chart.

“Games like tonight make a case” for playing time, Dunleavy said. “He’s gotten better and better as he went along.”

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Elton Brand, Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley each scored 21 points in the Clippers’ win.