Clippers and Smith Do a Fast Turnabout

Derek Smith was the first Clipper player in the locker room to prepare for Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, arriving more than two hours before tipoff.

“I wanted to get here earlier, maybe 3 o’clock, because I wanted to make up for last night’s game,” said Smith, who was held to a season-low seven points in the Clippers’ one-point loss to Atlanta Sunday. “I was embarrassed last night. I have too much pride to keep playing like that.”

Late Monday night, Smith was one of the last Clipper players to leave the locker room. That was because reporters kept asking about his 30-point, eight-rebound performance in the Clippers’ 125-121 victory over San Antonio before a crowd of 9,613 at the Sports Arena.

Certainly, Smith wasn’t alone in helping the Clippers win a close game for a change. Marques Johnson scored 26 points, including a crucial layup in the final seconds, in what had to rate as his best game in more than a month. And Norm Nixon contributed 18 points and 14 assists.

But it was the improvement in Smith’s play that stood out most in Monday’s win, which raised the Clippers’ record to 22-33. Not only did he score 23 more points than on Sunday, but his determined attitude also seemed to rub off on his teammates.

“I had extra fire in my eyes tonight,” Smith said. “I was on a mission for myself tonight. I felt like I played awfully bad last night. You are allowed a few bad games, but I played awful that game. I pushed myself mentally from the time I left the arena last night until I came back this afternoon.”

Johnson wasn’t quite as emotional or intense as Smith, but he obviously was happy with his 26-point performance, including six points in the game’s final five minutes.

This season has been a struggle for Johnson, whose average had fallen to a career-low 16.6 points a game. It seems he has spent the entire season either out with an injury or trying to play his way back into shape.

If Monday night’s performance is any indication, Johnson is all the way back from his latest injury, a sprained right ankle that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks last month.

“It’s been probably my most difficult (season) because of all the injuries,” Johnson said. “I’ve never had these injuries come one after the other. But tribulation develops character. I think I can definitely benefit from this (adversity). It makes me appreciate it more when I’m playing well.

“I feel I am now getting into full strength, which helped me play the way I did tonight. I was able to get into the flow early.”

More important, Johnson, Smith and the rest of the Clippers were able to stay in the flow when the outcome was still in doubt in the final minutes.

After experiencing what it is like to lose a close game Sunday night, the Clippers made sure they didn’t put on a repeat performance Monday.

Smith made two free throws with 18 seconds left to give the Clippers a 120-117 lead, but the Spurs cut it to one point nine seconds later when Marc Iavaroni scored from inside.

Almost immediately after Iavaroni’s shot, the Spurs clogged the front court with a trap, trying to force a turnover. Noticing that no one was defending past half court, Johnson casually slipped past the defense and took a long pass from Donaldson for an easy basket.

That crucial layup gave the Clippers a 122-119 lead with six seconds left. Although upset by the easy basket, the Spurs weren’t about to concede defeat. Mike Mitchell was fouled by Johnson and sank two free throws, making it a one-point game again with five seconds left.

One second later, Nixon was fouled and made both free throws to give the Clippers a 124-121 lead. Following a San Antonio turnover, Junior Bridgeman made a free throw with one second left to account for the final margin.

“We just decided to stay positive tonight and not give up,” Johnson said. “This showed what type of character we had. We were down by nine points in the fourth quarter and came back. Maybe we can build on this.”

Smith was primarily responsible for the Clippers’ fourth-quarter comeback after the Spurs had built a 99-90 lead with 10:03 left. He scored 13 of his 30 points in that span, making Spurs’ leading scorer George Gervin (28 points) foul out with 3:36 left.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers signed 7-0, 250-pound center Chris Engler to a 10-day contract to replace Bill Walton, who was placed on the injured list Sunday because of continued soreness in his right ankle. Engler has given new meaning to the term journeyman this season. He has had brief stays with New Jersey and Chicago in December and January. When the Clippers contacted Engler, he was playing for the Wyoming Wildcatters of the Continental Basketball Assn. He averaged 14.3 points and 9.1 rebounds in 19 games for Wyoming. Engler was originally drafted by Golden State in 1982 and spent two seasons with the Warriors. “In Chicago, I was basically just filling a roster spot,” Engler said before Monday’s game. “I saw almost no time at all. But in New Jersey, I averaged about 15 minutes a game and felt I made a contribution.