Clippers Lose to Kansas City in Overtime

Sunday night’s meeting between the Clippers and Kansas City Kings figured to be about as interesting as listening to a stewardess explain how to use a seat belt. But after it was over, King forward Eddie Johnson, among others, said he had never been involved in a more exciting game.

That statement was perhaps fitting, because Johnson provided most of the excitement by scoring a season-high 40 points in the Kings’ 126-122 overtime win over the Clippers before a crowd of 7,374 at the Sports Arena.

“I couldn’t believe this game,” Johnson said. “There were so many lead changes and crucial shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. I had never been in a game quite like this.”

Although Johnson scored 10 of the Kings’ 17 overtime points and also sank a three-point shot from the corner with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, the most exciting play of the night was left to teammate Larry Drew.

After Eddie Johnson’s three-pointer tied it, 107-107, the Clippers’ Marques Johnson sank a 16-foot jumper with two seconds left to give the Clippers a 109-107 lead. All the Clippers had to do to end their five-game losing streak was stop Kansas City’s last-second shot attempt.

They couldn’t do it. Mark Olberding, inbounding the ball from halfcourt, found Drew in the right corner, about 22-feet away. The shot was launched just before the buzzer sounded and fell through the net after it had stopped.

So, in their 61st game of the season, the Clippers were headed for their first overtime game. Maybe they didn’t know how to react in that situation, but the Kings dominated the five-minute period. And it was Eddie Johnson who did most of the damage.

Johnson set the tone for the overtime when he sank a three-point shot that was strikingly familiar to his three-pointer in regulation. Perhaps Johnson’s most important basket came with 46 seconds left and the Kings clinging to a 120-118 lead.

After feigning a drive to the basket, Johnson dribbled across the key and launched a running jumper after being fouled in midair by Marques Johnson. Incredibly, the ball hit nothing but net. So did Eddie Johnson’s subsequent free throw, giving the Kings a 123-118 lead. The Clippers never recovered from that play and could not pull closer than two points in the final 45 seconds.

So, the Clippers suffered their fifth-straight loss in a most excruciating way. Not that they didn’t have their chances to avoid the embarrassment of losses to Golden State and Kansas City--last-place teams in the Pacific and Midwest Division, respectively--on consecutive nights. They had a 15-point first-half lead, a 12-point advantage in the third quarter but saw it slowly erode in the final 12 minutes of regulation. When Kansas City first cut the lead to one point, 101-100, with 2:03 left, the Clippers did themselves in with missed free throws and turnovers.

But they had seemingly escaped with a two-point win when Marques Johnson swished the jumper from just beyond the free-throw line. But Kansas City Coach Phil Johnson used a play that had been successful for his team earlier this season, and it was successful again.

“Drew was our first option (on the game-tying shot),” Phil Johnson said. “If he wasn’t able to take it, then (Eddie) Johnson would have been our man. That call has been working all season. Drew seems to get open and have that shot down.”

The Kings’ comeback overshadowed another prolific scoring night by the Clippers’ Derek Smith, who tied his career high with 35 points. Smith made 13-of-25 shots from the field and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Marques Johnson added 25 points in his most consistent game in at least two weeks, while Michael Cage had 16 rebounds.

“I would like to stop scoring so many points if we can win a basketball game,” Smith said. “It was a heart-breaker for us. We played very hard and really wanted to win.”

The most surprising performance for the Clippers was turned in by rookie guard Lancaster Gordon, forced into action after Norm Nixon sprained his right ankle two minutes into the game and did not return. Gordon, playing 40 minutes, scored a season-high 22 points and had 7 assists but also 5 turnovers.

In addition to Eddie Johnson’s 40 points, the Kings received 22 from Drew and 19 from Mike Woodson (14 in the fourth quarter and overtime).

Said Johnson, who made 17-of-27 shots from the field and had 10 rebounds: “Every team need a leader on the court and I want that person to be me. I like to take the big shots. Every win for us is a must. We don’t want to be known as the worst team in the league.”

If the Clippers keep going at this rate, they might end the season with that distinction. Wednesday night, they host Cleveland, last place in the Central Division, and will try to avoid three losses against three cellar-dwelling teams in less than a week.