Can Clippers Rebound at Sports Arena? : Cage Will Be Counted On Against Lakers Tonight

The parents of Clipper forward Michael Cage saw their son play for the first time in his four-year National Basketball Assn. career Thursday night.

Cage grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds, 15 in the first half, as the Clippers came back from an 11-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets, 98-92, at the Sports Arena.

Cage’s big game on the boards was the third best in the NBA this season.

Center Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz had 25 rebounds last month in a game at Denver, and forward Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers had 24 rebounds against Utah two weeks ago.

“We brought him luck. The last time we saw him play, he broke the school (San Diego State) record for most rebounds in a game, said Cage’s mother, Iola. “He was great. Michael was at his best.”

Cage’s mother and father, James, will be in the stands again tonight when the Clippers (8-12) play the Lakers (15-6) at the Sports Arena (Channel 9, 7:30).

His parents, from West Memphis, Ark., are visiting for the holidays. But they almost had to cancel their trip after a tornado, which hit West Memphis Monday, severly damaged their home.

This will be the first time they have spent Christmas together since Cage, 25, left home to attend San Diego State eight years ago.

“My mom said that nothing could keep her from spending Christmas with me,” Cage said.

And Cage, who will play three more games while his parents are here, wants to make a good impression.

“It was weird before the game Thursday,” Cage said. “I haven’t been so anxious before a game since I was in high school. I was really pumped. And for us to win and for me to set a career-high in rebounding--what a thrill!

“I didn’t know how many rebounds I had. I just go out there and play. I knew I had my hands on the ball a lot. Some nights, the ball just seems to fall into your hands. As soon as it was in the air, I would suck it up.

“We needed that game. Things don’t get any easier. It was important to go in on an up note playing the Lakers.”

The Lakers beat the Clippers by 29 points at the Forum last month to extend their winning streak to seven straight over the Clippers. The Lakers have dominated the Clippers since they moved here from San Diego in 1984, winning 17 of 19 games.

“We’re going to play the Lakers a lot better,” Cage predicted. “It was no contest the first time we played them. They were in high gear; they were awesome. And we were trying to find a direction. Now, I think we’ve found ourselves.

“We have a sense of team unity. I sense a little Clipper pride. Teams aren’t coming in here and drilling us like they used to do.”

Clipper Coach Gene Shue said: “The only chance we have against the Lakers is if we have super defense. We have to find a way to keep the score low enough to keep us in the game.

“Michael had a fantastic game against the Rockets, and it was an unbelievable game for us. It’s hard to get 23 rebounds. That’s getting every rebound. I had the pleasure of being around Charles Barkley last season and I saw him do it a few times, and I was with Wes Unseld and I saw him do it.

“In the old days, players like Wilt (Chamberlain) used to rebound like that a lot. But the game has changed. We used to shoot the ball more quickly, so there were more shots and there were more rebounds.

“Michael is an outstanding rebounder. That’s the strength of his game. I asked him how he learned to be such a good rebounder, and he said it was because he played with Keith Lee in high school.”

The Clippers will also need another big game from Cage if they hope to stay close to the Lakers.

The Clippers, a poor rebounding team for the most part, are without injured forward Joe Wolf, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. And rookie forward Reggie Williams, who was poked in the right eye by guard Eric (Sleepy) Floyd, isn’t at full strength, either.

Cage, at 6 feet 9 inches and 230 pounds, has become a force on the boards in the last two seasons. Last season was his best in the NBA as he finished seventh in rebounding.

Last season’s numbers earned Cage a big raise. Cage, in the final year of a contract that paid him a reported $250,000 annually, became a free agent at the end of last season.

Negotiations dragged into training camp, and Cage was ready to move on to another team. He gave up the lease on his apartment in Marina del Rey and put his furniture into storage.

It looked as if Cage was headed for the Detroit Pistons, but he re-signed with the Clippers, on the eve of their season opener, for about $800,000 a year for the next four seasons.

Cage said the money hasn’t changed him.

A car fanatic, Cage recently gave up his 1984 Mercedes, with its customized stereo, cellular phone and personalized floor mats, for a new Mercedes 560 SEC, which cost about $70,000.

“I don’t need two Mercedes, a truck and a boat like some people,” Cage said. “I’ve gotten older and I’ve realized that it’s not how much money you make, but how much you save. Nothing is guaranteed.”

Cage said immediately after signing the new contract that his goal was to finish in the top five in rebounding and he is making good on it. He ranks third in rebounding with an average of 11.9 a game. He trails only forwards Charles Oakley (14.5) of the Chicago Bulls and Barkley (13.1).

While rebounding is his biggest strength, Cage’s weakness is his free-throw shooting.

Cage is shooting a career-low 58.3% from the line, compared to his career average of 71%. As a result, his scoring average has dropped from 15.7 points a game last season to 13.6 this season.

Shue said Cage will come out of his slump.

“He missed training camp, so that set him back, and then he hurt his ankle,” Shue said.

Cage’s poor free-throw shooting, however, seems to be contagious. The Clippers are only 68.9% from the line.

“I don’t feel too comfortable at the free-throw line,” Cage said “I can’t concentrate any harder. I’ve had quite a few people tell me how to shoot. I don’t think it’s a mental thing, though.”