Clippers Lose Johnson for Season and a Game to Trail Blazers, 113-112

Clipper Coach Don Chaney has had to spend almost as much time studying medical reports as scouting reports this season.

Star guard Marques Johnson, the lastest Clipper casualty, will be lost for the rest of the National Basketball Assn. season. Johnson made it official Friday night when he announced that he will undergo surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his neck. Johnson, 30, said he will attempt a comeback next season.

The injury-depleted Clippers have signed troubled guard Quintin Dailey to replace Johnson. Dailey signed an offer sheet with the Clippers Friday afternoon, ending three weeks of negotiations.

There was no help Friday night, however, as the short-handed Clippers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 113-112, before 6,627 fans at the Sports Arena. It was the 13th loss in the last 14 games for the Clippers (4-16).

Trail Blazer guard Terry Porter hit a seven-foot jumper from the left side of the lane with 17 seconds left to win it for Portland (13-10).

Porter wasn’t supposed to take the shot.

“Originally, the last shot was for (Jim) Paxson or Kiki (Vandeweghe), but neither was open and I was getting near the baseline so I shot it,” Porter said. “Luckily, it went in. I felt comfortable. If it’s going to be like that, I’ll shoot more of them.”

The Clippers had two shots at winning the game but missed both.

First, Paxson came from behind to block Mike Woodson’s 15-foot jumper from the left side with five seconds left. Then Clipper guard Darnell Valentine missed another jumper just before the buzzer.

“It shouldn’t have even come down to that last-second shot,” said Woodson, who led the Clippers with 24 points, all but one in the second half. “We were ahead but we didn’t control it. The positive thing is that we were down by 18 points in the first half and were able to come back.”

Said Valentine of his missed shot: “It was a good shot. I just missed it. I felt good about the shot, but I may have rushed it a little bit.”

Vandeweghe led Portland with 38 points, including 20 in the first half. The former UCLA star hit 15 of 21 shots, including a three-pointer, and made all seven free throws.

With the Clippers leading, 108-105, Vandeweghe made the first four-point play of his career to give Portland a 109-108 lead with 1:42 left.

Vandeweghe hit a three-point shot from the left wing and sank a free throw after he was fouled by Clipper forward Cedric Maxwell on the shot.

Valentine hit a 17-foot jumper with 1:30 left to give the Clippers a 110-109 lead, but Paxson scored on a layup off a pass from Jerome Kersey to put Portland back in front, 111-110.

However, the Clippers regained the lead after Valentine scored on a drive with 1:07 left.

Porter missed a shot with 49 seconds left, then the Clippers’ Cedric Maxwell blew a layup with 27 seconds left as the ball hit the front of the rim and bounced off. Portland called time out with 27 seconds left to set up what turned out to be the winning basket.

Michael Cage scored 21 points and hauled down 12 rebounds for the Clippers.

Los Angeles had just nine healthy players, one over the league minimum. The Clippers had only one center, rookie Tim Kempton, and three guards. Larry Drew reinjured a hamstring during the game.

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Clippers played their best third quarter of the season and outscored Portland, 36-20, to tie the score at 85-85 going into the final period.

“I can’t tell you we played well,” Portland Coach Mike Schuler said. “The first half we played maybe the best 21 minutes of the season. The last three minutes and the second half weren’t so good.

“They whipped us in the second half. They beat us physically.”

Johnson made his announcement during a press conference at halftime.

“I finally have decided after conferring with two doctors that I’m going to go ahead and have the surgery,” Johnson said.

“I’m looking at a three- to six-month recuperation period. I’ll start playing again this summer. I do plan to play next season.”

Johnson suffered a ruptured disk during a collision with teammate Benoit Benjamin Nov. 20 in a game against Dallas.

Johnson made the decision after getting opinions from several doctors, including a specialist in Boston. He said the surgery will be performed after the holidays by Dr. Avner Feldman, a neurosurgeon.

Clipper Notes Quintin Dailey probably won’t join the Clippers immediately. The Chicago Bulls, who hold the rights to Dailey, will have 15 days to match the Clippers’ offer and keep him, or match it and work out a deal with the Clippers, or lose him without compensation. Clipper Coach Don Chaney said that the Bulls have asked for a fourth-round draft pick. Clipper officials have said previously that Dailey will remain with the Jacksonville, Fla., Jets of the Continental Basketball Assn. until the matter is resolved. Dailey (6-3, 180) was Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 1982. Dailey, 25, has averaged 16.4 points in four seasons. “I welcome a player of his caliber. He will give us an added dimension,” Chaney said of Dailey. “When Quintin is at the top of his game, he has All-Star quality. He is a tremendous athlete and competitor and a great one-on-one player. He will strengthen our backcourt.”

Center Kurt Nimphius missed Friday night’s game with a groin strain and is on a day-to-day basis. Nimphius had played in 331 consecutive games before the streak ended. . . .Guard Lancaster Gordon also didn’t play, because he was sick. Gordon was sent home after he arrived at the Sports Arena. The Clippers will play the Utah Jazz tonight at 6:30 PST at Salt Lake City. The game will be televised by Channel 5. . . . Portland center Steve Johnson was ejected at the end of the first half after he got his second technical foul. Johnson got it after he told referee Ed Middleton, “Go back to the CBA.”