So Much for Clipper Winning Streak : Spurs End It at Two and Clinch a Playoff Berth, 126-115

The last time the Clippers lost a game at the Sports Arena, which was only a week ago against Portland, owner Donald T. Sterling paid the coaching staff a visit that lasted well into the night.

Fortunately for interim Coach Don Chaney, Sterling wasn’t around to witness Sunday night’s 126-115 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in front of a crowd of 9,204. Had Sterling attended, he no doubt would have asked why the Clippers have played so inconsistently of late, and Chaney probably would have been up all night searching for answers.

Chaney didn’t have any immediate answers after Sunday’s night’s loss, which ended the club’s modest winning streak--two games.

“I can’t explain it,” Chaney said. “This team must be ready to play from the beginning. That’s the only way we can win games. We can’t play even with them at the start. We can’t get behind. We have to get the early edge.”

That didn’t happen against San Antonio. Seven minutes into the game, the Spurs had a 10-point lead, and they padded the margin to as many as 21 points late in the second quarter before taking a 71-53 halftime lead. Not until the fourth quarter did the Clippers show any vital signs, pulling within five points with 2:25 to play, but the brief comeback attempt failed.

The Clipper loss lowered their record to 27-49 and pushed them to the brink of official elimination from playoff contention. The Clippers are 5 1/2 games behind Phoenix for the eighth Western Conference playoff spot with six to play.

San Antonio, meanwhile, clinched a playoff spot Sunday night, improving its record to 38-38.

Although the Spurs didn’t put away the game for good until the final 1:35, when they outscored the Clippers, 10-3, the Clippers were saying that this one was actually lost in the first quarter.

“We started off very poorly,” Junior Bridgeman said. “A very poor first half. I thought we had a shot (at the end). It came down to execution, and we couldn’t do it.

“Inconsistency is an illness for the not-so-good teams,” he said. “Good teams find a way to win night in and night out.”

Before Sunday night, the Clippers had been showing some positive signs. They easily beat Phoenix in consecutive games, thanks primarily to quick starts. Saturday at Phoenix, they shot an incredible 87% from the field in the first quarter en route to a comfortable lead.

There wasn’t a repeat performance Sunday night. The Clippers shot only 45% in the first half and were outrebounded, 26-15, as the Spurs breezed to an 18-point halftime lead. The second half was better for the Clippers, but they finished the game with only 29 rebounds to 41 for the Spurs. San Antonio’s 16-8 edge in offensive rebounding was particularly damaging.

“We didn’t go to the boards at all,” Chaney said. “They got second and third shots, and we didn’t get any.”

The lack of rebounding strength harnessed the Clipper fast break, which had been a key ingredient in their recent success. “When we don’t rebound,” Bridgeman said, “we can’t run and we can’t get the easy baskets. They did.”

Spurs’ forward Mike Mitchell scored many easy, difficult and in-between baskets Sunday en route in a game-high 32 points. In the absence of George Gervin, out with a sprained ankle, Mitchell has become the team scoring leader. He had 38 points in a loss to Utah Friday night.

In addition to Mitchell, who made 14-of-26 shots, rookie guard Alvin Robertson scored 21 points and had 7 assists and center Artis Gilmore 19 points and 7 rebounds. Reserve center Jeff Cook added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Johnny Moore had 15 assists.

As usual, Derek Smith led the Clippers with 24 points, hitting 9-of-11 shots. Bridgeman added 16 points and Walton 14 and 7 rebounds. Other than Walton’s rebounding, the only Clipper to contribute in that category was Marques Johnson, who had six.

As an indication of San Antonio’s rebounding domination, Robertson had six and small forward Gene Banks eight.

“You can’t blame the big men for all our rebounding problems,” Smith said.