Clippers Put Their 15-Game Streak on Line in Atlanta

The Clippers will try to snap a 15-game losing streak tonight when they play the Atlanta Hawks at the Omni.

Team captain Cedric Maxwell showed up with a shaved head at practice Sunday, and said he isn’t going to grow his hair back until the Clippers (4-30) win 10 games.

“I like that attitude,” Clipper Coach Don Chaney said of Maxwell. “We might get some wins right away because his wife doesn’t like his head shaved that clean.”

The woeful Clippers are getting close to the National Basketball Assn. record for most consecutive defeats. The Philadelphia 76ers lost 20 consecutive games in 1973. The Clipper record for most consecutive losses is 19, which was set in 1982, when the team was still playing in San Diego.

“We’ve got to get some help. I’d like to see if we can make a deal,” Chaney said. “We need more scorers and we need another big guy who can go to the boards and be physical. I’m going to talk to (General Manager) Elgin (Baylor) about making a deal when we get home. I’d hate to trade away a first round pick, but we’ve got to get help somehow.”

The Hawks (23-9) broke a two-game losing streak by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 129-104, Saturday night at the Omni. Dominique Wilkins scored 32 points against the Cavaliers.

This is the final game of a seven-game Eastern trip for the Clippers. They return home to play Denver Wednesday at the Sports Arena before hitting the road for three more games.