Clippers Find New Way to Lose

There are only so many ways to lose basketball games and, by now, you’d think the Clippers had exhausted all the possibilities. If it’s not sloppy ballhandling, it’s cold shooting, lack of rebounding or defensive breakdowns.

But in posting loss No. 32 Friday night, a 109-100 setback to the Utah Jazz before 8,256 at the Salt Palace, the Clippers combined all of the above and also added a twist. They were guilty of a new and rarely called breakaway rule, which killed a Clipper rally and gave the Jazz a four-point play and, ultimately, the win.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Clippers had a chance to cut Utah’s lead to three points. But center James Donaldson turned over the ball and then chased after Jazz forward Fred Roberts. The 7-2, 270-pound Donaldson amazingly caught up to Roberts and slammed him to the floor.

He was called for a breakaway foul, which gave Roberts two free throws and the Jazz possession of the ball. Roberts made both free throws and then made a jump shot to give Utah a 100-91 lead with 4:30 left. After that, the Clippers never threatened.

“This was a new one,” Donaldson said. “I’m not accustomed to breakaway fouls. I’m not used to foot races. But I was side by side with him and just reached out and touched him. What are you supposed to do, just let a guy go to the hole? I don’t know what the rule is. I’ll have to look it up.”

Donaldson shouldn’t bother. Even if he hadn’t committed the foul, the Clippers probably would’ve relied on their standard ways of losing games. Those were evident again Friday. They committed 22 turnovers, shot poorly in the second half and were outrebounded.

“Same old story,” guard Derek Smith said. “Same old quotes. We made the crucial turnovers, gave them easy shots. We just got tight and couldn’t do anything right.”

The result was the Clippers’ eighth straight road loss. They are 21-32 and still occupants of fifth place in the Pacific Division.

Compared to the Clippers’ most recent loss, blowout defeats against San Antonio and the Lakers, this one was a good effort. For the longest time, in fact, it seemed the Clippers might pull out their first road win since Jan. 12, when they edged Golden State.

The Clippers had a 10-point lead three times in the first quarter and seemed to be an entirely different team than the one that has played so abysmally the last month. Marques Johnson played exceptionally, scoring 10 first-quarter points and exhibiting fancy moves inside. Smith had eight points and Donaldson controlled Mark Eaton, the Jazz’s 7-4 center.

By halftime, though, the Clippers were starting to crack. The Clippers didn’t make a field goal in the final four minutes and Utah was able to pull within three (51-48).

By the six-minute mark in the third quarter, the Jazz had taken the lead and stretched it to seven points entering the fourth quarter. The closest the Clippers could get from that point was three points, 94-91, with 5:29 left. Jazz forward Thurl Bailey made jumper to make it a five-point game, and then Donaldson was called for the breakaway foul.

Before Junior Bridgeman made a three-point shot with 42 seconds left, the Clippers had gone almost six minutes without making a field goal. That’s because they rarely got a shot because of all the turnovers.

“I would say we got tight and starting hesitating,” Bridgeman said when asked to explain another collapse. “Consequently, you don’t execute as well. Their aggressive play and our playing cautious and uptight was the reason we lost.

“It was somewhat gradual. It just doesn’t happen at once. You could just see us slow down, not play as aggressively. We were tentative.”

Utah was just the opposite. Led by 26 points and 16 rebounds by Bailey, 21 points off the bench by Roberts and 28 points and 10 rebounds by Darrell Griffith, the Jazz easily overcame the Clippers after losing the first two meetings this season. Eaton added 14 points and six blocked shots.

Smith led the Clippers with 25 points, while Norm Nixon had 21 and Bridgeman 20. Johnson, who played so well in the first quarter, finished with 12 points. Donaldson had 10.

“To be honest,” Lynam told writers afterward. “I thought we played a notch above the way we have lately.”

Clipper Notes

Bill Walton missed Friday night’s game and will not play Sunday night against Atlanta or Monday night against San Antonio because of continuing soreness in his right ankle. Trainer Mike Shimensky said that Walton was examined again Thursday in Los Angeles by team doctor Tony Daly, and the Clippers hope to have him back for practice Tuesday. . . . The trading deadline came and went Friday night and the Clippers did not make a deal. General Manager Carl Scheer said: “I was on the phone from the time I got to work to the time I left. I talked to a lot of teams but nothing worked out. The only thing we might do is put Walton on the injured list (five games) if his injury is more than a day-to-day thing. We’ll decide Sunday.”