Despite Clipper Loss, Cage Takes Over Lead for Rebounding Title

Utah Coach Frank Layden was the first to congratulate Michael Cage after the Clipper forward grabbed 21 rebounds to become the National Basketball Assn.’s leading rebounder in the Clippers’ 112-106 loss to the Jazz Wednesday night at the Sports Arena.

Layden put his arm around Cage as they walked off the court together.

“I’ve never done that to a player before because I don’t want to embarrass him,” Layden said. “But I think Cage is a helluva player. I told him that he shouldn’t change. The Clippers are going nowhere, but he’s doing a great, great job.

“It’s easy to play for the Celtics or Lakers, but it’s hard to play for a team that loses every night. But Cage comes to play.”

Cage, who needed 16 rebounds going into the game to overtake Chicago’s Charles Oakley for the league’s rebounding lead, passed the Bull forward with four minutes left in the third quarter when he grabbed a shot missed by Jazz forward Karl Malone. Cage also scored 16 points.

Cage, who finished sixth in the NBA in rebounding last season, is averaging 12.64 rebounds with two games left, and Oakley is averaging 12.57 with three games left in the regular season.

“Winning the rebounding title is like winning the scoring title,” Cage said. “It means a lot to me because it’s something that I’ve worked on for the last two years.”

Cage, 6 feet 9 inches and 230 pounds, is ending the season on a high note. He has averaged 17.2 rebounds in his last 6 games. He had 16 in a 113-96 win over Houston, and he had grabbed 23, 16, 21 and 19 before Wednesday’s game.

“Michael is rebounding like an old-time player. He’s really going for this,” Clipper Coach Gene Shue said of Cage’s drive for the rebounding title. “It’s fabulous. With two more games to go, it’s something I would like to see him accomplish.”

When Cage arrived at the Sports Arena before the game, one of his teammates had taped a handwritten sign inside his dressing cubicle: 16 rebounds to be No. 1.

Cage grabbed 13 in the first half, and someone altered the sign at halftime to read: 3 rebounds to be No. 1.

While Cage was hard to stop on the boards, the Clippers couldn’t contain Malone, Utah’s all-star forward.

He scored 33 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as the Jazz handed the Clippers their fifth straight loss.

Guard Bobby Hansen added 26 points, including 11 in the final quarter, and forward Thurl Bailey had 21 points and 10 rebounds off the bench as Utah came from behind to beat the Clippers.

Trailing, 93-85, with 9:25 left in the final period, the Jazz took control of the game with a 17-4 run.

Guard John Stockton, the NBA assist leader, added 21 to his total. Stockton has had 20 or more assists in four straight games against the Clippers.

Guard Mike Woodson led the Clippers with 24 points, and forward Eric White added 19 points.

The Clippers had just 10 players available for duty.

Center Benoit Benjamin was sidelined for the sixth straight game with bronchitis, and forward Ken Norman missed his second straight game with a back injury.

Greg Kite started in place of Benjamin, who is expected to be sidelined for the Clippers’ final two games this season. White, one of three Continental Basketball Assn. players on the Clippers’ roster, replaced Norman at small forward.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers travel to Denver to play the Nuggets Saturday night (Channel 5) and end the season against the Seattle SuperSonics Sunday night at the Sports Arena. . . . The National Basketball Assn. draft lottery will be held May 21 in New York. The Clippers have two lottery picks this season as a result of a trade that sent guard Derek Smith to the Sacramento Kings in 1986. Benoit Benjamin was honored at halftime for becoming the leading shot-blocker in Clipper history. Coach Gene Shue presented Benjamin with a large framed photo of the center rejecting a shot.