The Clippers received good news Tuesday, learning that Sam Cassell, who left Monday's game against the Houston Rockets because of a strained left calf, is listed as day-to-day.

Cassell, who strained his calf in the first quarter of the loss, visited Tuesday with Tony Daly, the team's physician. He reported that he was feeling better, although it is uncertain if Cassell will play against the Nuggets in Denver on Friday.

The Clippers, who have lost seven of nine games after starting 4-0, have been hit hard by injuries. They are without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston: they lost Corey Maggette for four games: and nearly every rotation player has dealt with some type of physical problem.

Steve Francis almost joined the Clippers in the off-season. Instead, he signed a two-year deal with Houston, where he was a three-time All-Star before being traded to the Orlando Magic along with Cuttino Mobley in 2004.

"I had conversations with the Clippers, the coach; we had some deep conversations up until the last couple of days when I made a decision to come to Houston," Francis said Monday before the Rockets' 88-71 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center.

"I made an easier decision I thought was best for my family, my daughter, my wife. We have a home in Houston. We've been living there for seven, eight years."

Mobley, Francis' longtime friend, was a recruiter in the Clippers' attempt to land him.

Some in the Clippers' organization doubted they ever had a true shot at signing Francis, believing he wanted to play for a team with legitimate title aspirations and a dominant one-two punch in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

At the beginning of the season, he found himself questioning it. He did not play in 11 of the team's first 13 games and was buried deep on the depth chart.

"Of course, by me not playing the first 11, 12 games, I not only possibly thought of if I should've [come] here but Miami, or Dallas, or Cleveland," Francis said.

The Clippers, mired in a 2-6 slide, will probably have the services of leading scorer Corey Maggette for tonight's game against the Houston Rockets.

Maggette, sidelined the last four games because of a strained right hamstring, was originally slated to miss two to three weeks. But he responded well to therapy, including laser treatment that penetrated the injured area.

"Last time, you heard it was supposed to be three weeks," Maggette said, speaking with reporters Sunday. "But everything is doing well, and I had the opportunity to rest it and get some good strengthening from therapists and it's feeling good."

"Most likely, I'll be playing [against Houston]."

The Clippers, mired in a 2-6 slide, will probably have the services of leading scorer Corey Maggette for tonight's game against the Houston Rockets.

Maggette, sidelined the last four games because of a strained right hamstring, was originally slated to miss two to three weeks. But he responded well to therapy, including laser treatment that penetrated the injured area.

"Last time, you heard it was supposed to be three weeks," Maggette said, speaking with reporters Sunday. "But everything is doing well, and I had the opportunity to rest it and get some good strengthening from therapists, and it's feeling good."

"Most likely, I'll be playing [against Houston]."

The Suns turned to their energized front line of Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion to put away their eighth victory in a row.

On the Clippers' bench, Sam Cassell sat the entire fourth quarter, watching the Suns pull away.

Stoudemire scored 13 of his season-high 29 points in the decisive third quarter, and the Suns matched the best start to a season in franchise history with a 113-94 victory on Friday night.

Clippers' leading scorer Corey Maggette probably will be sidelined for two to three weeks while recovering from a strained right hamstring, the team learned Monday.

The Clippers are also considering resting swingman Cuttino Mobley until his strained groin heals. Quinton Ross (bruised right knee) and Al Thornton (sprained right ankle) will be game-time decisions Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets.

The injuries come as the Clippers (5-4) prepare for their toughest stretch of the early season. After playing the Nuggets, they close out the month against the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets and  then Denver again.

"When it rains, it thunderstorms," point guard Sam Cassell said.

Saturday night's game between the Clippers and the Bulls was a game of flagrant fouls, with three flagrant fouls being called, all involving the Bulls' Andres Nocioni.

Ruben Patterson, jostling for position with Nocioni, bumped hard into the Bulls' defender. Nocioni retaliated by collaring Patterson around his neck, picking up a flagrant foul.

"He should have got kicked out the game for that," Patterson said. "He went straight for my face. He's known as a dirty player."

Patterson approached Nocioni afterward, earning a technical foul, but was restrained by Kaman.

"I made a hard foul because he hit me with his elbow twice," Nocioni said.

Less than a minute later, Thomas picked up his own flagrant foul when he forearmed a driving Nocioni.

"I was always taught, you get hit, you hit back," Thomas said.

Dunleavy said there were better ways to respond, such as aggressive boxing out.

"It was a cheap flagrant foul if there is such a thing," he said. "It was like, 'Why even bother?' "

In the third, Kaman picked up his own flagrant on Nocioni, fouling him from behind. Kaman said he would protest the foul with the league.

Andris Biedrins had a season-high 23 points and a career-best 18 rebounds; Al Harrington scored 27 points, and the Warriors finally got their first victory of the season, 122-105 over the Clippers on Friday night

Clippers' guard Cuttino Mobley missed Los Angeles' game at Detroit on Friday night because of a hip injury.

Mobley, a starter in the Clippers' first four games, scored two points in less than six minutes of Wednesday's win at Indiana before leaving with a strained adductor muscle and is expected to miss at least a week. He's averaging 18.3 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Sam Cassell scored 35 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 104-89 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Cassell was 13-for-20 from the field to tie his highest point total since he joined the Clippers in 2005.

Chris Kaman added 15 points and 22 rebounds for the Clippers (4-0). His rebound total was the highest of any player in the league so far this season.