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Clippers’ Reggie Jackson appreciates the support

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LOS ANGELES — Reggie Jackson has been an open book, eager to talk about how grateful he is to his employer, co-workers and live viewing audience.

“This organization has empowered me,” he said in June, while he was on a tear that helped the Clippers reach their first Western Conference finals. “The more I stay myself, the more this team empowered me to be myself.”

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, whether his shot is falling or it isn’t – his team’s attitude about him seems unbending.

“He’s Reggie, he has a flow for the game, he plays the way he plays,” Clippers forward Nicolas Batum said after Jackson’s floater in the lane with 36 seconds left helped the Clippers wring out a 99-94 victory over Oklahoma City on Monday night at Staples Center.

“I just (want him to) to take a shot,” Batum added. “Miss a shot, I’m behind him saying, ‘Great shot, keep shooting.’ Like, ‘Damn, you’re at 5 for 26? Make it 27.’

“ … I mean he was 4 for 16 and made the biggest basket of the game. That’s 5 for 17 and the last one he make put us up three (points) and got us a good lead.

“Just be Reggie; he’ll be all right.”

The Staples Center crowd maintained that same energy Monday, chanting the 31-year-old guard’s name – “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” – as he stepped to the free-throw line with 3:47 to play and the Clippers trailing, 89-81. They kept it up even after he missed the first of two.

“Honestly, they brought some more added confidence and much-needed energy, especially for myself – it’s been an ugly spell,” said Jackson, who currently is shooting a career-low 31% from the field.

He’s shooting just as poorly (8 for 26; 30.8%) on strictly wide-open shots with a defender 6 feet or farther away, of which he’s getting nearly five times per game.

“I can’t imagine being in a dry spell like this much longer,” said Jackson, who shot 45% overall and 43.3% from behind the arc last season.

“So it felt good to have (fans) back and just for them to notice that I’m still going out here competing to the best of my ability. It may not be the same story right now as it was last year, it’s a whole new year … but having some loyal fans, that felt good honestly because it’s been ugly.”

It’s not much of a book if some chapters don’t get a bit hairy. And Jackson’s fans are inclined to keep turning the page because they’ve come to expect some beautiful stanzas from him – not so different than some of the passages he was raving about in his current literary companion, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

And because this season, with injured All-Star Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the foreseeable future and veterans Marcus Morris Sr. and Serge Ibaka making their way back to full health, the Clippers are relying on Jackson, the shimmying big-shot maker in the mismatched shoes, to turn having fun into winning basketball.

All-Star Paul George – who is handling a Herculean load with aplomb, averaging 28.3 points on 49.2% shooting, as well as 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game, production matched in a six-game span by only Michael Jordan between March 26 and April 5, 1990 – certainly could use a hand from his goggle-wearing bookworm bestie.

“He’s been nothing short of magnificent,” Jackson said of George, who already has two 40-plus point games. “So especially myself, I want to step it up. Being an elder statesman on this team, got to be a leader on this team, I want to help find ways to get wins. Especially that being my brother Paul. I love the guy to death, I don’t want to let him down.”

In other words, the Clippers want Reggie to be Reggie – except, perhaps, if he could incorporate one note from rookie Brandon Boston Jr.

“‘I gotta hear you talk nice,’” Jackson said the 19-year-old told him before Monday’s game. “‘Talk more nicely to the basket.’ That was his word of advice to me: ‘Reg, you can’t keep being so harsh. You got to talk nice, and she’ll be good to you.’”

CLIPPERS (2-4) at TIMBERWOLVES (3-3)

When: Wednesday, 5 p.m.

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: Bally Sports SoCal