Clippers Coach Doc Rivers feels for Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, to a point

The Lakers flail clumsily for 48 minutes, fumble around and lose, a pattern continually repeating itself in Kobe Bryant’s final season.

They trailed the Clippers by 18 points in the first quarter Tuesday, losing a 10th consecutive time to the team Bryant used to pound with ease.

Isn’t this a little sad?

“Oh, no sadness my way,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said before the Clippers’ 103-81 victory. “I love Kobe but I’d never cheer for him to win.”

Come on. Maybe a touch of melancholy?

“It would be nice if he was in the playoffs and competing — as long as we could still win — but it would be nice for him because he’s been such a champion,” Rivers said. “Really, the only thing that’s strange is that he’s just been so competitive as a person. You don’t get sad over it, but you just wish for him he could be that and it made a difference.”

There were M-V-P chants for Bryant as he shot free throws in the first quarter. He had missed all six of his field-goal attempts. The Lakers were already down 15.

There are five games left in his career, including a Clippers rematch Wednesday in a designated Lakers home game. It might be closer if the Clippers rest some of their starters. It might not.

There is that much difference between the Lakers and Clippers. And, really, the Lakers (16-61) and many NBA teams.

Bryant left for good with the Lakers down 24 in the third quarter. He missed 10 of 12 shots. He scored six points. The Lakers clinched at least a tie for the worst record in their 68-year history.

A long time ago, Rivers coached against Bryant in the 2008 NBA Finals. It was eternally gratifying for Boston, complete with a 39-point clinching victory in Game 6. The 2010 NBA Finals rematch, however, was grueling beyond description for Boston as the Lakers euphorically stole Game 7 in the final minutes.

“I thought that ’08 taught them a lesson,” Rivers said. “I thought in 2010 you could see the difference. We weren’t bullying them anymore. . . . It came back to straight basketball in 2010, and I thought it was a huge difference in the series.”

Those were the good old times for Bryant. And for the Lakers, back when the Clippers were nothing more than a playoff tuneup this time of year.

Sad Lakers

It’s safe to say two Lakers employees were unhappy with Monday’s NCAA championship game: General Manager Mitch Kupchak and coaching consultant James Worthy played at North Carolina.

“They might be in a little bit of mourning right now,” Lakers Coach Byron Scott said.

Kupchak attended the game in Houston, which ended with Villanova beating the Tar Heels on a last-second three-pointer, 77-74.

Follow Mike Bresnahan on Twitter @Mike_Bresnahan