Clipper Performance Scheer Agony : Last-Place Cleveland Hands L.A. 5th Loss in Row, 110-94

A Cleveland reporter boldly approached Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer in a darkened hallway late Tuesday night and launched a bevy of excuses to explain another dismal Clipper effort in a 110-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Scheer, more morose than usual over his team’s fifth straight loss, threw all the excuses back.

No, it wasn’t the tough East Coast trip that caused the Clippers to get blown out by the last-place team in the Central Division. No, it wasn’t the injuries that kept Marques Johnson and Michael Cage out of the lineup and claimed Bill Walton in the second half. And no, it wasn’t the fact they were forced to go with several inexperienced players.

“No excuses this time,” Scheer said. “Every team has to play with those problems. We just played a very bad game.”

Bad might be too mild a term to use to describe how the Clippers played Tuesday night before a sparse crowd of 3,724 in the 19,548-seat Richfield Coliseum. Although the margin of defeat was only 16 points, this one was clearly worse than the Clippers’ 26-point loss to the New York Knicks Monday night.

In doubling their widest victory margin this season, Cleveland opened a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter and never let the Clippers come within 11 the rest of the way.

“What can you say about this game?” a disgusted Norm Nixon asked. “What can you really say? We lost the game in the first quarter! We aren’t a fast-break team, not the type to make up a deficit. So, we can’t afford to go to sleep at the start of the game. If we do it again the next game, we’ll lose again.”

Given the Clippers’ woeful play and injury situation, it doesn’t figure to get any better Thursday night when they end the trip against the New Jersey Nets.

Walton, who scored three first-half points, missed most of the second half with a strained right heel. He was examined by team doctor, Tony Daly, and his status is uncertain for Thursday or future games.

“Bill’s a funny guy,” Daly said. “Sometimes you have to wait a day or two to see how bad the injury might be.”

Cage, out for the last two games with the flu, is expected to fly to New York from Los Angeles today to rejoin the team. If Cage is healthy, Coach Jim Lynam said he’ll play.

Johnson’s status is questionable. Johnson, who has missed the last four games with a sprained right ankle, said soreness is still there. He dressed for Tuesday’s game, had his ankles taped and participated in warm-ups before deciding not to play.

“It really felt not as stable as I need it to be able to play,” Johnson said. “It’s frustrating. I want to get out there and play, but I don’t want to make it (the ankle) worse . . . We need something, a shot in the arm. I think that I can provide that.”

In their current state, the Clippers need massive injections of rebounding, ball handling, shooting and defense. The Clippers shot only 42.4% from the field, 65.6% from the free-throw line, committed 23 turnovers and were outrebounded by the Cavaliers, 54-41.

World B. Free led Cleveland with 26 points, while Phil Hubbard added 16 and 11 rebounds (9 offensive) as the Cavaliers put six players in double figures. Junior Bridgeman and Derek Smith comprised almost the entire Clipper offense, scoring 30 and 24, respectively.

All the Clippers’ problems were not lost on Scheer, who nevertheless was more careful with his words than the Clippers were with the basketball.

“This is a bad game to comment about concerning any changes,” Scheer said. “After two games like this (the Knick loss and Cavalier loss), you can’t be objective in making your judgments. It’s best not to say anything at all.”

Lynam said the major reason for Tuesday’s breakdown was the injuries. “It would be nice to have everyone healthy,” Lynam said. “(But) we did have too many missed free throws and we turned over the ball too much.”

With Johnson and Cage out, Lynam went with Harvey Catchings and Bridgeman as his starting forwards. Catchings played 32 minutes, seven more than his previous high, and had problems stopping Lonnie Shelton (14 points), Mel Turpin (13) and Roy Hinson (12). Bridgeman, the Clippers’ main offensive force, couldn’t handle Hubbard defensively.

“That was a tough matchup--Hubbard vs. Junior,” Lynam said. “Junior didn’t get much help, either.”