Clippers Win in 2 Overtimes; They Are Now 2-0, No Joke

When the decisive moment of Saturday night’s game between the Clippers and Houston Rockets finally seemed at hand, coming with just one second left in a second overtime period, Marques Johnson cracked a thin smile as he stood at the free-throw line.

It was as if Johnson felt assured that he was going to sink both free throws to overturn the Rockets’ tenuous one-point lead and give the Clippers a 130-129 win in a game that left the Sports Arena crowd of 7,656 unusually hoarse.

But after Johnson did just that, shrugging off the pressure and calmly swishing both attempts, he had to admit that his smile was not born out of confidence.

“Franklin Edwards (Clipper guard) came by right before I shot and told me a joke, which I really can’t repeat to you right now,” Johnson said. “That kept me relaxed, put it in perspective and (made me) realize the situation.”

The situation was obvious to everyone. If Johnson made one shot, the game would most likely go to a third five-minute overtime. If Johnson missed both shots, the Rockets would win. And if he made both, all the Clippers would have to do is stop a last-second desperation attempt by Houston, which they did.

Johnson wouldn’t have been in a position to give the Clippers their second win in as many games if not for a clutch rebound of a missed free throw by Clipper center James Donaldson. Donaldson was fouled by Houston’s Lewis Lloyd with three seconds left after intercepting an errant Allen Leavell pass in the backcourt. After making the first free throw, Donaldson’s second rolled off the rim and into Johnson’s hands after being tipped by Clipper teammate Cedric Maxwell.

“Max kept it alive,” Johnson said. “There were so many arms entangled, I don’t know who I got the ball from.”

That didn’t matter. What did was that Johnson, a 73% free-throw shooter last season, made both shots.

With 21 seconds to play in the second overtime, it seemed the Clippers were headed for certain defeat. Houston had a 129-125 lead after Rodney McCray sank two free throws.

But Edwards, who is replacing unsigned free-agent Norm Nixon at point guard, sank a jump shot from the left wing with 12 seconds left to keep Clipper hopes alive.

Then, Edwards stole the ball from Leavell, who, in turn, stole it back and flung a pass down court to Lewis Lloyd. But Donaldson, lingering in the area, ran down the ball and was slapped on the arm by Lloyd.

“He stripped my arm of the ball,” Donaldson said. “I didn’t think the ref would call it because they had done it all game. But the ref made the crucial call.”

Donaldson didn’t make the second crucial free throw, but he was saved by Johnson’s rebound.

“I couldn’t think of a better scenario to end it,” Donaldson said. “Well, I could’ve made the second free throw, but that only would’ve sent it into a third overtime.”

Edwards led the Clippers with 28 points, while guard Derek Smith added 26. All of Smith’s points came way back in regulation. He fouled out with 2:34 to play in the fourth quarter. Johnson scored only 12 points but led the Clippers with 11 rebounds.

Ralph Sampson, not heard from much in the overtimes, led Houston with 32 points, while Lewis Lloyd had 24 points and Akeem Olajuwon had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The first overtime was just as tight as the entire fourth quarter. The teams simply traded leads until play became very conservative when the score was tied, 117-117, and only a minute remained in the extra period.

Houston had possession of the ball with 25 seconds left, and Rocket Coach Bill Fitch ordered John Lucas to dribble until 10 seconds showed. At that time, the Rockets called time out to set up the potential winning basket.

The Clippers then fouled Lucas with four seconds left and forced the Rockets to set up again. This time, rookie Benoit Benjamin intercepted a give-and-go pass between Sampson and McCray, giving the Clippers the ball with one second left. Edwards missed a jumper in the corner, sending it to a second overtime.

The Clippers wouldn’t have even made it to overtime if not for two pressure free throws by Junior Bridgeman with one second remaining.

If the Clippers could have chosen any player to attempt the free throws, they undoubtedly would have selected Bridgeman, who ranked eighth among the top NBA free-throw shooters last season.

An unexpected offensive rebound sent Bridgeman to the line. The Clippers trailed, 107-105, with 17 seconds left and set up a final shot for Marques Johnson. But Johnson’s shot from the baseline banged off the front of the rim right to Bridgeman, who caught Ralph Sampson by surprise when he went right back to the basket with the ball. Bridgeman was fouled.

With the Sports Arena crowd strangely hushed, Bridgeman calmly swished the first shot. The second bounced on the rim before dropping through.

The Rockets still had a chance, albeit a slim one, to win it in regulation. As it turned out, they almost did. Lloyd caught the inbound pass about 30 feet from the basket, quickly turned and flung a two-hand attempt out of desperation. The ball rolled around the rim, nudged the backboard and then rolled out as 10 players stood frozen, watching it.

A late surge in the fourth quarter enabled the Clippers to get in position to sent it to overtime. It wasn’t until there was 3:15 left in the fourth quarter that the Clippers finally caught the Rockets, but they couldn’t open more than a two-point lead.

Clipper Notes

Saturday night’s game was the first of what figures to be a tough four-game homestand for the Clippers. After Houston, the Clippers face Portland Tuesday night, Chicago Thursday, and Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks next Saturday.