Clippers Are Beaten, but Not Upset

The usual post-loss gloom was noticeably absent in the Clippers’ locker room Saturday night. This time, they simply accepted the 120-113 defeat by the Philadelphia 76ers before a sellout crowd of 15,371 at the Sports Arena and tried to forget about it as quickly as possible.

If the Clippers had dwelt on how close they came to beating one of the National Basketball Assn.’s three best teams before seeing victory snatched away in the final minutes, it might have been too much to take.

Battling back from a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, the Clippers pulled within one point (109-108) with 2:53 left on a Norm Nixon jumper. From that point, the 76ers took advantage of several Clipper turnovers and missed shots to put together an 11-5 run that ended any hope of a Clipper upset.

“We know why we lost this game,” said Clipper center James Donaldson, referring to the late collapse. “We got close to them, and then we lost it. But our heads are still high. We’re pretty confident that we can win. They (the 76ers) took advantage of their opportunities, and we didn’t. That’s why they are one of the best teams in the league.”

So, after being saddled with their 25th defeat in 44 games, the Clippers decided to give most of the credit to the 76ers (35-8) and leave it at that.

After all, given the Clippers’ injury-riddled state, no one really expected them to seriously challenge the 76ers. With starting forwards Marques Johnson (sprained right ankle) and Michael Cage (flu) out of the lineup, the Clippers seemingly had as much chance of knocking off Philadelphia as bulky Charles Barkley does of publishing a best-selling diet book.

That’s the way it turned out Saturday, although the Clippers put up quite a fight before eventually buckling under the 76ers’ constant pressure.

The pressure also was on Philadelphia to avoid the embarrassment of leaving Los Angles 0 for 2. Friday night at the Forum, they lost to the Lakers by five points as Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Barkley all had off-nights.

Malone had another disappointing showing Saturday night, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Fortunately for the 76ers, Erving, Barkley and the supporting cast made up for Malone’s dropoff in production.

Erving, held to 16 points Friday night, scored a game-high 27 points Saturday night. Many came on his usual assortment of spectacular moves to the basket, leaving Junior Bridgeman and Derek Smith behind to watch.

In addition to Erving’s hot night, the 76ers received 23 points from guard Andrew Toney and 19 points each from Barkley and Maurice Cheeks. Toney, especially, hurt the Clippers in the fourth quarter, making two three-point shots.

Mostly, though, the Clippers did in themselves with several turnovers and missed shots. Erving stole the ball from Smith twice, and Nixon was called for an offensive foul while driving for a layup.

“We won the game down the stretch with aggressive play on offense and defense.” Toney said.

For most of the game, though, it was the Clippers who appeared more aggressive. Nixon and Bridgeman, who started at small forward in Johnson’s place, each scored 22 points, while Smith had 21 before fouling out with a minute left. And rookie guard Lancaster Gordon, who is starting to see more playing time, added 15 points in 23 minutes.

But it was inside where the Clippers dominated, surprising since Malone is the NBA’s leading rebounder and one of its most noted intimidators. Squared off against 7-2 James Donaldson and 6-11 Bill Walton, Malone was the one who seemed intimidated.

Walton scored 11 points and had a game-high 17 rebounds, while Donaldson had 16 points and seven rebounds. Overall, the Clippers held a 39-38 rebounding edge.

Stopping Malone does not necessarily stop the 76ers, as Erving showed. He made 11 of 19 shots, had 8 rebounds and passed for 3 assists in what he called one of his best all-around games this season.

“I felt I had a hand in all phases of the game tonight,” Erving said. “When I feel aggressive and assertive, I look to shoot more. I try to position myself in the center of the action.”

Clipper Notes

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Marques Johnson has been injured almost the entire season. Saturday night was the eighth game Johnson has missed. This time, it was because of a sprained right ankle suffered last Saturday against Dallas. Previously, Johnson missed six games with a strained hamstring, and he also played the first month of the season with a slow-healing broken finger. . . . Norman Nixon’s sprained ankle is the same one he injured Jan. 4 in Kansas City. He was well enough to play Saturday, though. . . . Forward Michael Cage, bothered recently by back spasms, had a high fever Saturday and did not play. . . . The Clippers play five games in the next eight days, starting Monday night at New York against the Knicks. They play at Cleveland Tuesday, then meet the New Jersey Nets Thursday.