Trail Blazers, Drexler Put Hurt on Clippers

Guard Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers was listed as doubtful before Monday night’s game with the Clippers because he had a jammed right index finger.

However, Drexler didn’t play as if he was hurt.

Drexler scored a season-high 36 points as the shorthanded Trail Blazers beat the Clippers, 110-105 before an announced crowd of 7,415 at the Sports Arena.

“He played very, very well,” Portland Coach Mike Schuler said of Drexler. “He needed to have a good game because he’s been struggling.”

Forward Kiki Vandeweghe, Portland’s leading scorer, sat out the game with a back injury. And the Blazers were also without forward Kenny Carr (sore back), guard Michael Holton (bruised right thigh) and Fernando Martin (bruised knee).

“I was forced to play. They told me if I didn’t play that I would be fined,” Drexler joked.

“If Kiki is not playing, it puts a strain on me. I had to play.”

Drexler also had 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 4 blocked shots in 41 minutes.

The Trail Blazers had a 15-point lead going into the fourth period, but the Clippers (8-42) outscored them, 18-3, in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the final period to tie the score, 91-91.

The Clippers led, 104-103, with 2:15 left after Lancaster Gordon sank two free throws. However, Portland outscored the Clippers, 7-1, the rest of the way.

Jerome Kersey tied it, 104-104, when he made a free throw with 1:57 left, and Drexler gave the Blazers a 105-104 lead when he made a free throw with 1:43 left. Caldwell Jones scored on a layin to make it 107-104.

The Clippers closed it to 107-105 when forward Kenny Fields hit a free throw with 57 seconds left.

Terry Porter sank a free throw with 38 seconds left, and Drexler added two more free throws with five seconds left for the final margin.

Kersey and center Steve Johnson had 19 points apiece for Portland (32-21) and Jim Paxson came off the bench to score 16. Kersey also had a team-high 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Fields led the Clippers with a season-high 22 points. Guard Mike Woodson also had 22. Guard Darnell Valentine added 15 points, and rookie center Tim Kempton had a career-high 13 points. Center Benoit Benjamin had 12 rebounds, 6 points and 6 blocked shots.

The Trail Blazers blitzed the Clippers, 15-0, in a 5:51 span of the first period to take command. Portland, which trailed, 12-9, with 7:51 left in the first period, outscored the Clippers, 19-4, during the run to lead, 28-16, at the end of the quarter.

“The game in a nutshell was that Portland was very active in he first half,” Clipper Coach Don Chaney said. “We lost the game in the first half. Portland attacked us and intimidated us.”

The Clippers shot 28% from the floor in the first quarter, hitting just 7 of 25 shots. They missed 7 of their last 9 shots and were outrebounded, 20-14, in the first period.

Drexler had 11 points in the first period, and Kersey added 7.

Portland expanded its lead to 56-42 at halftime. The Blazers led by as many as 19 points in the second period.

Drexler had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the first half. Paxson came off the bench to score 12 points and passed off for 4 assists. Kersey had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the first half.

Woodson led the Clippers with 11 points in the first half.

Kempton came off the bench to add nine points. Benjamin had just two points and six rebounds in the first half.

The Clippers shot 37.2% from the field in the first half, making 16 of 43 shots. They were outrebounded, 29-15.

Vandeweghe, Portland’s leading scorer, missed the game with a back injury suffered Sunday night in the Trail Blazers’ 98-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He sat on the bench dressed in street clothes.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers play the Denver Nuggets Friday night at the Sports Arena. The Clippers have beaten Denver in two of their three previous games this season . . . Clipper forward Rory White, who has missed the last four games with a back sprain, could be cleared to practice today and might play against Denver Friday night. . . . Syrus Yarbrough, a 15-year-old sophomore from Santa Monica High, won the Clippers’ slam dunk contest for youngsters age 9-15.

FO Portland’s Kevin Duckworth dunks over Benoit Benjamin (left) and Kenny Fields of Clippers in Trail Blazers’ 110-105 victory.