The days of Earl Boykins being defined as a novelty act are over.

Stories of his 5-5 stature and his weight of 133 pounds are no longer issues of discussion. It's only about his game. "I like to put him in just to see the reaction of the crowd," said Clippers coach Alvin Gentry. "They find out right away that he's a player. Earl's different from other small NBA players because he can shoot. He changes the tempo of the game because of his speed. And he does well on defense."

Boykins, a Cleveland native and former Cavs player, did very well in the Clippers exhibition loss against Seattle earlier in the week. Boykins scored a team-high 21 points in 29 minutes. It was his first exhibition game. Cavaliers coach John Lucas got an earlier taste of Boykins' talent over the summer.

"I like his speed," Lucas said. "He can score and there's always room for a guy that can put the ball in the basket."