At Long Last, Clippers’ Streak Ends at 19 Games

The Clippers threw a little coming-out party Wednesday night in the Sports Arena, showing off the future and the present, which, for once, didn’t look so grim.

Just as youth had caused so many problems during their 19-game losing streak, it was youth that helped the Clippers end it Wednesday night in a 114-111 victory over the Houston Rockets before a crowd of 9,281.

With rookies Gary Grant, Tom Garrick and Charles Smith and second-year veterans Ken Norman and Joe Wolf playing together for the final 3:10 of the third quarter and then all of the fourth, the Clippers rallied from a 10-point deficit to win. Finally.

Now they’ve only lost 30 of their last 35 games

Just a slump.

All that mattered after this one was they would not tie the Philadelphia 76ers of 1972-73 for the longest single-season losing streak in National Basketball Assn. history.

“I feel relieved of this . . .,” Clipper Coach Don Casey said, trailing off at the end while searching for the right word.

“Albatross?” someone said.

“That’s a good word,” Casey agreed, smiling, his tie undone and his shirt halfway out. “It was like a heavy weight on our shoulders.

“My fear was that I would die tomorrow and my grandchildren would find out that I was the only NBA coach never to win a game.”

Casey, the team’s interim coach, doesn’t have to worry about that--he’s 1-8.

However, Houston Coach Don Chaney had some of his worst fears realized.

Chaney, who was fired by the Clippers after the 1986-87 season, wouldn’t admit to any feelings of vindication in returning to Los Angeles with a first-place team, but he did confess to a certain amount of pride.

“It confirmed what I always believed,” he said of the Clippers. “That the problem is not coaching.”

Problems, of course, are something the Clippers have aplenty. And theirs go beyond the standings and losing streaks.

It goes all the way to their image.

“We’re taking the same attitude, not only with the Clippers, but with expansion teams,” Chaney said. “Nobody likes to lose to expansion teams, and certainly you don’t want to lose to the Clippers at this point. It’s not a pleasant situation to consider.”

But lose, Houston did.

The Rockets, now in a virtual tie for first with the Utah Jazz in the Midwest Division, fell behind by seven points on two occasions early in the second quarter, only to rally to lead, 63-57, at halftime. Akeem Olajuwon, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds, had 20 first-half points and eight rebounds.

But Olajuwon, an all-star center, fouled out with 1:27 to play.

The Clippers were ahead, 111-109, at the time, and the Rockets were in the midst of a streak in which they went the final 7:23 without a field goal.

Norman had 32 and 14 rebounds for the Clippers (11-36), who committed a season-low six turnovers.

“I thought Ken Norman played terrific,” Casey said after the Clippers scored their most points in a regulation game since Dec. 23. “It was like he was possessed.”

Or desperately in need of a victory.

“We came too close to lose,” Norman said after the Rockets couldn’t get off a three-point shot in time in their final attempt to tie the score.

Said Casey: “That was like the worst streak imaginable. People were not paying attention to the positive things we were doing because everybody was seeing only the streak. Now that that’s out of the way, we can get down to business.”

Clipper Notes

The Clippers are saying Quintin Dailey, suspended Monday because of excessive weight, may be allowed to rejoin the team before he is down to the prescribed 205-pound limit. Dailey, who weighed 229 before being sent home, lost 10 pounds of water weight within the first 1 1/2 days, according to Coach Don Casey, and may be brought back when he gets close to 210. He could then work the rest off while playing, which, of course, means the Clippers would get their leading scorer back quicker.

General Manager Elgin Baylor said the team has no interest in signing Derek Smith, the former Clipper who was cut Tuesday by the Sacramento Kings. The Clippers need a big guard with Dailey out, but Baylor said he doesn’t think Smith’s knee is 100% recovered from 1985 surgery.