Clippers Hit Low Road, Lose to Seattle, 154-104

Another road game for the Clippers, another loss.

Or does something like this count as two losses?

The Clippers trailed by 32 points in the first half. And then the Seattle SuperSonics started scoring.

The deficit in the second half reached 40 . . . and 44 . . . and 48 . . . and finally 52 points. In the end, the Clippers played a little catch-up, Joe Wolf’s baseline jumper with 4 seconds to play reducing the margin of victory for the SuperSonics to an even 50 points, 154-104, Friday night at the Seattle Coliseum.

The game was a race for the record books by halftime, and the Clippers (6-9 overall and 1-8 on the road) lost that, too:

--The 50-point loss set a franchise record, breaking the mark of 46 against both the Denver Nuggets in the 1987-88 season opener and the Lakers on Nov. 13, 1979. The National Basketball Assn. record is 63, established when the Lakers beat Golden State, 162-99, on March 19, 1972.

--The 154 points allowed were the second-most in Clipper history, topped only by the 156 Houston scored on March 15, 1986.

--The SuperSonics (7-7) set a team record for points scored, topping the 151 they scored against Phoenix on April 2, 1987. It was also their second-largest margin of victory ever.

Much of this occurred because Seattle shot 63.5% in the first half, making 33 of 52 shots, and also because the SuperSonics kept firing up 3-point shots in the fourth quarter, pressing the young Clippers farther into the quicksand.

“They came out and did a job,” Clipper guard Gary Grant said. “I don’t care of they beat us by 80, in the years to come, when we’re a better team, I wouldn’t want Gene to call off the horses.”

But didn’t the SuperSonics run up the score, if only a little?

“Oh, yeah,” Grant said. “But it’s good they did it. It helps us realize how bad we really did play.”

As if they need reinforcement.

The Clippers committed 29 turnovers, with the SuperSonics taking control 22 other times on steals. No Clipper had more than 5 assists or more than 8 rebounds.

“You can’t blame them (the SuperSonics) for playing good,” Clipper forward Ken Norman said. “Blame us for playing bad.”

The beginning blitz went something like this:

--The SuperSonics make their first 8 shots to lead, 17-8. They finally miss the next time down court--when Nate McMillan’s layup is blocked by Benoit Benjamin. The SuperSonics connect on 18 of 23 shots in the first quarter to lead, 34-22. The only unsuccessful attempts are by McMillan, Alton Lister when Grant knocks the shot away, Dale Ellis on a 3-point shot, Ellis when Reggie Williams gets a block, and Sedale Threatt when Williams comes up from behind to swat it away.

--Then the SuperSonics make 9 of their first 12 shots to open the second quarter. The lead is 59-26. It’s ugly already.

“We have no idea at this point what it takes to win on the road,” Clipper Coach Gene Shue said. “It does really hurt us that Charles Smith is not here. Tom Garrick didn’t get to play much, and that really hurts us. He’s one of those glue-type players you need.

“We’re going to have a team that will be able to run some type of motion offense. I don’t really care which players are a part of it, if you know what I mean.”

Loud and clear. Maybe even as loud as a 50-point loss.

Clipper Notes

Benoit Benjamin led the Clippers with 19 points, with Danny Manning adding 18. The SuperSonics, who shot 59.4%, had 4 players in double figures, topped by Xavier McDaniel and Dale Ellis with 27 each. . . . Clipper guard Grant Gondrezick, after scoring a career-high 17 points in 14 minutes off the bench 2 games ago against Sacramento, had 12 points and 4 rebounds in just 7 minutes against Seattle. “I just try to get in the game and make the most of it,” he said. “When I get in a game like this, I try not to know what the score is. I try to think it’s 0-0, so I can just go out and play.”

Reserve guard Tom Garrick, who missed the last 2 games with a twisted right ankle, returned Friday, only to get kneed in the left knee in a third-quarter collision with Seattle’s Sedale Threatt. Garrick said he will play tonight at Phoenix. . . . Clippers Charles Smith and Manning were among the 6 finalists for the league’s first rookie-of-the-month award, an honor that went to Willie Anderson of San Antonio.

Seattle’s Michael Cage, who won the league rebounding title last season with a 13.03 average for the Clippers, was at 9.8 going into Friday’s game. But his field-goal percentage was up substantially (51.9 compared with 47 last season); likewise, his free-throw percentage improved (78 compared with 68.8). Cage, sent to the SuperSonics in the draft-day trade for rookie Gary Grant, said playing against his former team held no special motivation. “I think I’ll be conscious of it,” he said beforehand. “But I’ll try to approach it like every other game.”