Clippers Stop 7-Game Losing Streak While Nixon Can Only Watch

Conditions were not at all ideal for the Clippers to try to break their bloated losing streak Saturday night. Not only was it their third road game in three nights, they also had to meet the explosive Denver Nuggets without injured point guard Norm Nixon.

An eighth consecutive loss seemed inevitable.

So it was more than a little surprising that the Clippers pulled together and put their latest slump to rest by handily defeating the Nuggets, 127-115, before a crowd of 7,880 at McNichols Arena.

It was the Clippers’ first win since Dec. 19, when they beat Seattle for what was their sixth straight win. Since then, however, the Clippers (15-21) have lost to every team they’ve faced, ranging from Boston to Kansas City. And Saturday night, they bounced back to beat a team that had defeated them by 29 points the last time they played.

How do you figure it?

“Sometimes, you know, adversity can really pick a team up,” forward Michael Cage said. “We lost Marques three weeks ago and had a six-game streak. We definitely missed Norm tonight, but everybody pulled together and played harder.”

Maybe the Clippers have stumbled onto an answer for all their problems: Have one starter sit out each game and work as the analyst on the radio broadcast. Johnson was in that role earlier, and the Clippers won. Now it’s Nixon, who sprained his right ankle Friday, and the Clippers win big.

“I’m all for it (that system), so long as we keep winning,” Junior Bridgeman said, laughing. “I don’t know, but it just seems when you miss a guy, you play better collectively. I don’t know if everybody decides to pick it up, or what.”

Following Friday night’s embarrassing second-half collapse in Kansas City, the Clippers were searching for reasons and solutions for the streak. General Manager Carl Scheer, speaking from Los Angeles, said earlier Saturday that he planned to watch the game closely on television before taking action.

Knowing what the Clippers were up against Saturday night, Scheer said the outcome didn’t matter.

“I’m just looking for their effort, their desire and character,” Scheer said. “We are going to evaluate the players and coaches and the general manager--everybody--after tonight. It’s hard for me to readily access the situation.

“(But) obviously, we have to do something, have to make some type of move to turn this around. When a car breaks down, you take it to a mechanic and fix it. When you’ve got a Mercedes or a Rolls-Royce, you’ve got to replace something to fix it. I’m not saying our team’s talent is a Rolls or Mercedes, though.”

Perhaps the biggest difference in this win was that the Clippers looked for fast-break opportunities off Denver misses instead of rigidly going to the set offense. And when the Clippers did run the offense, it worked.

Based strictly on Saturday’s performance, there probably wasn’t much Scheer could find wrong. Most of the Clippers’ problems the last seven games were strangely absent.

In shooting 64.4% from the field, the Clippers received 26 points from guard Derek Smith, 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists from Marques Johnson, 16 points from Nixon’s replacement, Bryan Warrick, and 14 points and 12 rebounds from Bill Walton.

“I thought Warrick did a terrific job for us,” Coach Jim Lynam said. “He pushed the ball when we needed it and slowed it down when we needed it.”

Calvin Natt and Mike Evans each had 23 points for Denver, which shot only 43%. Alex English had 16 points in the first quarter but finished with 21.

“It sounds crazy, but last night’s game (Friday in Kansas City) was the same as tonight’s,” Lynam said. “But last night, we lost our collective composure when Kansas City made a run. Tonight, we retained our poise.”

Indeed, Saturday’s game seemed to follow the same script as Friday’s, only this time there was a quick rewrite in the end. The Clippers led almost the entire game and--surprise--were able to hold off the Nuggets’ spirited second-half comeback attempt.

Not that there weren’t some anxious moments. After trailing by 14 at halftime, Denver put together a strong surge and took the lead for the first--and, it turned out, only--time at 96-94 with 1:10 left in the third period when Fat Lever stole the ball made a layup.

But upon entering the fourth quarter tied, 98-98, the Clippers slowly pulled away thanks to several transition baskets and three important shots by Smith.

“When Denver exerted pressure down the stretch, we handled it,” Bridgeman said. “When Kansas City did it, we fell apart. That’s the difference right there. We could’ve won two of three on the road trip.”

But the Clippers seemed more than happy Saturday night to win just one of three.

Clipper Notes

If the Clippers, who return to the Sports Arena Monday to play Utah, want to make a trade, they have the deal with the league-imposed salary cap. The Clippers are over the cap, so it limits their spending. Basically, they can only trade for players with the same salaries as those they are giving up. “We’re going to evaluate it and see how creative we can be with the salary cap,” GM Carl Scheer said.