Floundering Clippers Lose Fourth in a Row, 98-93

The Clippers are like a ship-wrecked man trying to tread water.

It seems like the harder they work, the deeper they sink.

It’s early in the season, but the Clippers (3-7) have already sunk into last place in the Pacific Division.

And things aren’t getting any better.

On Tuesday night, the Clippers collapsed down the stretch against the Indiana Pacers and lost their fourth straight game, 98-93, before 4,765 fans at the Sports Arena.

It was the Clippers’ second-lowest offensive output of the season. They scored 86 points in a 32-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 4.

Clipper Coach Don Chaney was so upset that he bolted from the locker room early after meeting with the press following the game.

“We’ve got to start playing like we want to win,” Chaney said. “We’re not losers. I’m not a loser. We’re going to do whatever it takes to win.

“I’m very disgusted because we could have won this game. But we didn’t have leadership from our veterans at the end of the game. That’s why I’m disappointed. My veterans must take charge at the end.”

The Clipper veterans didn’t take charge at the end against Indiana (6-4).

They turned the ball over, failed to take open shots and missed free throws down the stretch.

Trailing 95-93 with 31 seconds left, the Clippers blew a chance to tie the game when guard Mike Woodson turned the ball over. Woodson was trapped in the corner and tried to pass to Marques Johnson. But Indiana guard Vern Fleming intercepted Woodson’s pass.

Fleming sank two free throws with 12 seconds left after being fouled by Johnson at the other end, and Fleming also added another free throw with six seconds left for the final margin.

“Last-second play didn’t lose the game for us,” Chaney said. “We lost the game in the first quarter.”

Clipper center Benoit Benjamin was wide open under the basket because Indiana had two defenders on Woodson. But Woodson couldn’t get the ball to him.

“I made a boneheaded play down the stretch,” Woodson said. “I got caught in the corner with the ball with nowhere to go. I should have called time out, but instead I tried to pass to Marques. It was a bad pass.

“We’re not playing well. It’s going to be up to us to pull ourselves out of this rut. Hopefully, we can turn this around. I don’t want to be sitting home in April watching the playoffs on TV.”

Guard John Long, acquired by Indiana from Detroit via Seattle just before training camp opened, wheeled and dealed on Johnson for a game-high 24 points to lead the Pacers.

Long also did a good job defensively, holdingJohnson to 9 points. Johnson went 4 for 14 from the floor.

“Marques is a good one-on-one player,” Long said. “I played against him a lot when he was with Milwaukee. I basically know what he likes to do. He doesn’t have a really good outside jump shot. So I was taking my chances and giving him the shot.”

Rookie forward Chuck Person added 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

Fleming had 15 points, and Wayman Tisdale came off the bench to score 13.

Benjamin had 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Forward Michael Cage had 15 rebounds and 9 points.

“Don (Chaney) wanted me to go to the defensive boards more aggressively,” Benjamin said.

Guard Larry Drew led the Clippers with 22 points, and Woodson came off the bench to score 18.

The Clippers, who’ve trailed going into the fourth quarter in every game this season, kept the streak intact against the Pacers.

Long scored 12 points in the third quarter, and Indiana had an 83-71 lead going into the fourth period.

But the Clippers outscored the Pacers, 13-5, in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 88-84. The Clippers also played good defense against Indiana in the fourth quarter. The Pacers were 8 for 21 (38%) from the field in the final period.

“They defended us tougher in the fourth quarter,” Indiana Coach Jack Ramsay said. “We got tentative. The more tentative you become the better chance you give a team of catching up. But we’ll take the win.”

After guard Kyle Macy hit a basket, Woodson made a three-pointer from the left wing with 5:54 left trim it to 90-87. Woodson had 12 points in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback.

The Clippers cut it to one point (90-89) when Drew sank two free throws with 4:26 left. But Person banked a shot off the glass with 4:26 left to give Indiana an 92-89 lead.

The Clippers had a chance to cut it to one, but Benjamin missed two free throws with 2:52 left.

Asked about missing the free throws, Benjamin said: “I guess I wanted to make them too bad.”

But Woodson made two free throws with 1:32 left as the Clippers closed to within one point at 92-91.

Tisdale dunked off a pass from center Steve Stipanovich with 1:13 left and hit the ensuing free throw to give Indiana a 95-91 lead. Macy set up the play when he broke a trap and passed to Stipanovich.

“I saw him (Stipanovich) there and I tried to get it to him, but the passing lane was closed off,” Macy said. “But he went up to get it. I’m sure glad he doesn’t have cement feet.”

Woodson followed with two free throws with 54 seconds left to trim the lead to 95-93.

Time out Indiana.

Person missed a shot, and Cage grabbed the rebound and the Clippers called time out with 31 seconds left.

And then the Clippers sank in the closing seconds.