Manning and Smith Help Clippers Bounce Back and Defeat Nuggets

The kids are all right, again.

After a loss to Miami Wednesday night that wouldn’t get anything but a failing grade, the Clippers, with their two top rookies back in form, surprised the Denver Nuggets, 121-118, Friday night before a crowd of 9,056 at the Sports Arena.

Danny Manning scored a career-high 29 points, making 13 of 16 shots. Charles Smith, back from his bruised hip and sprained wrist, contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, but much more in the intangibles category.

Was it a coincidence that the Clippers (8-14) got a big win on the night that Smith, their leading scorer, returned?

Sure, just as they happened to lose all 8 games he missed because of injuries. They are 8-6 in games he has played, so maybe a pattern is developing here.

“There’s no doubt about it,” said Ken Norman, the Clippers’ second-year forward, who had 23 points and a season-high 4 blocked shots, 3 of them at critical times to help turn back Denver rallies. “We lost 17 or 18 points, 6 or 8 rebounds and a great player inside when he went out. His presence made everybody better tonight.”

Smith, hindered by a gauze wrap on his right (shooting) wrist, will undoubtedly get better, too.

“I felt very rusty,” he said. “My timing was off. But I wasn’t too concerned with myself when I came back. It was all that stuff with Ben (the trade rumors surrounding backup center Benoit Benjamin). When he was in there, I tried to get him as many shots as possible. . . . I wanted to get him the ball and in the flow of the offense.

“I don’t have all the flexibility in my wrist yet, but it will come back as I continue to get therapy and treatment.”

The victory over the Nuggets (14-8), the leaders in the Midwest Division, was great therapy for the Clippers. Being the victims of the first win in the Miami franchise’s history was bad enough, but that was only the topper for the Clippers, who had lost 8 of their last 9.

Denver, down by 21 points early in the third quarter, made a furious run to get back in the game, as Walter Davis scored 20 of his team-high 26 points and Alex English got 16 of his 22 in the second half.

The Nuggets, whose 3-game winning streak was snapped, closed within 118-117 with 48 seconds to play. But Quintin Dailey responded for the Clippers by hitting a free throw with 29 seconds left, and Norman converted a pair with 5 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Denver’s fourth-quarter charge had plenty of weapons, namely Davis and English. But Davis couldn’t make good on consecutive 3-point shots on the same Nugget series with 6 seconds left.

Denver’s final chance ended with Davis at the line and his team trailing by 3. He missed the first free throw and then the second on purpose with 3 seconds left. The ball ricocheted to Elston Turner, who passed to 3-point specialist Michael Adams on the right side, but Gary Grant knocked the ball away before Adams could unload.

“The ups and downs of a pro coach,” Gene Shue said after sweating out the win. “That was a great team effort. We played some outstanding basketball.”

The Clippers, who scored only 88 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Heat, scored 65 in the first half alone against Denver. Not that the Nuggets will ever be mistaken for a defensive team--their average of 121.5 points allowed is the worst in the league by more than 6 points.

The Clippers, who never trailed, led at intermission, 65-46, and were up by as many as 19 points in the first half. Moreover, they had forced the run-and-gun Nuggets into a slower offense.

Denver shot just 31.1% in the first half and committed 14 turnovers, 2 more than the Clippers.

Clipper Notes

Arn Tellem, the Clippers’ general counsel, has withdrawn as a candidate for the same position with the National Basketball Players Assn., citing personal reasons. . . . Benoit Benjamin, at the forefront of a struggling team even when he doesn’t start, said before the game that he is not bothered by rumors he is being shopped to the Sacramento Kings. “It’s no big deal,” he said. “This has been going on now all the years I’ve been here. . . . I’d like to stay here, but I have no control over it. I want to do whatever is best for the team.” Benjamin, who came off the bench for the seventh straight time, also said he is adjusting to the new role. “It’s getting easier,” he said. “I’m learning to play coming off the bench. That’s going to be a plus for my career, because I know I can play as a starter, so now I’m learning to play as a reserve.” . . . Guard Norm Nixon, one of only three Clippers to play in all of the first 21 games, did not dress Friday night because of tendinitis in his right knee. His status for tonight’s rematch with the Nuggets in Denver is unknown. Now Ken Norman and Benjamin are the only Clippers who have played in every game. . . . Quintin Dailey, Danny Manning, Gary Grant, Charles Smith, Tom Garrick and Joe Wolf will visit the pediatrics department of County-USC Medical Center Monday at 2:30 p.m. to distribute gifts to children. Dailey organized the outing. . . . The Clippers, along with the rest of the teams in the NBA, will award two $1,000 college scholarships to high school seniors. For more information: (213) 748-800.