Clippers Lose Johnson, Then the Game

First, the Clippers lost star guard/forward Marques Johnson with a neck injury.

Then, the Clippers lost their fifth straight game, 113-108, to the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night before 5,312 fans at the Sports Arena.

Johnson suffered a strained neck with 39 seconds left in the first half when he collided with teammate Benoit Benjamin while grabbing a rebound under the Dallas basket. Play continued at the other end while Johnson was down.

“He (Marques) got the rebound and he turned to go up the court and he hit my stomach,” Benjamin said. “When he was falling down, his neck was turned. As I looked down, I knew he was hurt.”

Johnson, who was down for about 10 minutes before he was moved, was carried off the court on a stretcher, and his neck was placed in a brace. He was examined in the locker room and then taken by ambulance to Daniel Freeman Hospital in Marina del Rey, where he was admitted for observation, X-rays and tests.

However, Dr. Tony Daly, the team physician who accompanied Johnson to the hospital, said X-rays were normal. He diagnosed the injury as a cervical strain.

Johnson was scheduled to be examined by a neurosurgeon today, Daly said.

“When he fell down, it was almost like a whiplash,” said Dr. Mukesh Bhatia, who examined Johnson at the Sports Arena. “His hands were numb and he was sweating on the court. But when he came into the (locker room) he had the feeling back in his upper body.

“He’ll be in the hospital overnight.”

Johnson’s parents, Jeff and Baasha; his wife, Jocelyn, and Ed Waters, his best friend from high school, maintained a vigil in the locker room. His wife rode with him in the ambulance.

“I think he’ll be all right,” Baasha Johnson said. “But he was scared because one of his friends from high school had a neck injury and he’s in a wheelchair.”

Clipper Coach Don Chaney said: “It was frightening. When I went out there, his eyes were closed and it was almost like he was unconscious. He was numb from the waist up.

“It’s really frightening to see your star player go down. Marques is probably the most important player on the team. He’s the guy we would have gone to in the closing seconds.”

The Clippers (3-8), who had lost to the Mavericks by by 32 in Dallas Nov. 4, played them a lot closer in the rematch.

Trailing, 109-104, the Clippers’ Lancaster Gordon hit a 16-foot jumper with 1:51 left in the game to cut it to 109-106, but Dallas’ Mark Aguirre sank a turnaround jumper over Cedric Maxwell with 1:31 left to give Dallas a 111-106 lead.

Dallas center James Donaldson intercepted Gordon’s pass with 1:10 left, but Aguirre threw the ball away at the other end, and the Clippers called time with 58 seconds left.

Aguirre fouled Maxwell, and Maxwell sank two free throws with 37 seconds left to trim the lead to 111-108.

The Clippers had one last chance after Gordon stole the ball from Derek Harper, but Gordon missed a jumper with 18 seconds left.

Detlef Schrempf was fouled by Maxwell with seven seconds left, and he sank two free throws to seal the win for Dallas (6-5). Schrempf scored 10 points in the final quarter.

“We won a close game,” Dallas coach Dick Motta said. “It was a tough win. I wanted to get over the hump of losing close games.

“I honestly think that in the other six years (of the Dallas franchise) we would not have won this game. We’ve never had a sub who does what Detlef has done.

“This wasn’t a fun game. We played in front of 17,000 (at Dallas Tuesday night) and lost a tough game to the Lakers. It was hard to be enthused.”

Aguirre finished with a game-high 31 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists to lead Dallas. He had 13 points in the third quarter. Harper and Rolando Blackman added 17 points apiece. Harper had 11 in the third quarter.

Donaldson, the ex-Clipper who was traded to Dallas for Kurt Nimphius last season, had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Maxwell led the Clippers with 19 points. Nimphius and Rory White had 14 points apiece, and Larry Drew added 12.

Gordon scored 10 points, including 8 in the Clippers’ fourth-quarter rally. Benjamin, playing on a sore right knee, had 16 rebounds and 8 points in 24 minutes.

Less than an an hour before game time, Benjamin was sitting in a chair, his right knee heavily wrapped, watching the Raiders-San Diego Chargers game on TV in the locker room. He was waiting to be examined by a doctor.

Benjamin woke up Thursday morning with a swollen right knee. There was also fluid in the knee.

“I just hit it Tuesday night against Indiana,” Benjamin said. “It was fine but last night it was swollen.”

Benjamin came out for pregame warmups but returned to the locker room about five minutes later. Asked if he’d be able to play, Banjamin threw up both hands.

Nimphius started in place of Benjamin. However, Benjamin entered the game with 4:14 left in the first quarter and quickly picked up four rebounds in the first quarter.

Aguirre had scored 20 points against Maxwell the last time these two teams met. So, Chaney put Michael Cage on Aguirre and had Maxwell guard Sam Perkins to start the game.

Aguirre hit two three-point shots and scored 10 points in the first quarter as Dallas took a 33-27 lead. Blackman also had 10 points in the first quarter for the Mavericks.

With the score tied at 6-6, the Mavericks outscored the Clippers, 12-4, to take an 18-10 lead. Aguirre and Harper had six points each in the four-minute spurt.

The Mavericks built a 10-point lead, 39-29, early in the second period, but the Clippers cut it to 53-51 at halftime. Johnson had 10 points in the first half before he was injured.

The Clippers, who have been behind in every game this season going into the final quarter, trailed, 86-80, this time.

Clipper Notes Injured Clipper guard Darnell Valentine, who has yet to play this season because of a broken left hand, will have the cast removed Monday. He is expected back in two weeks. . . . The Clipper injury report, in addition to Marques Johnson and center Benoit Benjamin: guard Larry Drew (right hamstring strain), center Kurt Nimphius (groin strain), guard Lancaster Gordon (loose front tooth). . . . Team owner Donald T. Sterling met with Coach Don Chaney after the game in the locker room.