Shaun Livingston, who has been sidelined all season because of a stress reaction in his lower back, participated in contact drills on Friday for the first time since last season and afterward said he was pain-free.

"It felt good," said the 6-foot-7 point guard, who played in only 30 games because of other injuries in 2004-05, his rookie season with the Clippers.

He is not expected to play tonight against the Phoenix Suns or Sunday against the Detroit Pistons but may be used next week against San Antonio or New Orleans.

"We're still keeping it open, based on how I feel each day, so we'll see how it goes," he said.

Livingston practiced running both the half-court and full-court offense and said he had not held back. "It's hard for me to play that way," he said. "If my body's feeling good, then I just go out and play."

Asked if he expects to be rusty when he's put in the lineup, he answered, "I don't think it'll take that long to get back into the flow, because my job is to deliver the ball and run the team. That could come a little more natural than trying to put the ball in the hole."