Williams Sits and Clippers Lose to Suns, 120-113

Don Casey, who in his short tenure as a National Basketball Assn. head coach has sometimes been critical of his own maneuvers, dismissed any second-guessing this time.

In the closing minutes of the Clippers’ eventual 120-113 loss to Phoenix Thursday night before 11,089 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Reggie Williams had as much chance of getting into the game as the Suns’ gorilla mascot.

Forget that he is the best three-point shooter on the team--and, with Quintin Dailey on the suspended list, the biggest outside threat.

With the Clippers surprisingly in the game and looking for their second straight win after losing 19 in a row, Williams wouldn’t get a chance on offense because of his defense.

“Every time he was guarding a man, the guy scored,” Casey said after the Clippers dropped to 11-37. “I think there’s a trade-off.”

So Williams will continue to get minimal playing time until his defense improves?

“That would be a good supposition,” the coach said.

Other assumptions could be made after the Clippers lost for the 31st time in 36 games: None of the Clipper guards had much success on defense, as Kevin Johnson’s 34 points and 18 assists will attest.

And Williams, who played only 12 minutes against the Suns, all in the first half, after just 22 the night before in the victory over Houston, is becoming despondent.

“That (the knock on his defense) is the same stuff Gene Shue talked about,” said Williams, who is shooting 43.8% this season after just 35.6% as a rookie. “I play good defense, I rebound, I pass. I guess they have to find some excuse not to play me.

“I don’t know why they benched me all of a sudden. Everyone else gets the chance to get into a rhythm and feel good. I’m out there, and if I make a mistake, I’m out. I need the minutes to look good just like everyone else.

“I’m being shortchanged. I work hard during the games and at practice and should be able to get the playing time.”

Johnson had 14 assists in the first two quarters, setting a franchise record for the most in a half. He finished by scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, mostly on free throws, to help hold off the Clippers, who had rallied from 20 points down in the third quarter.

Clipper Notes

Benoit Benjamin scored a season-high 29 points for the Clippers, while Ken Norman, after scoring 32 against Houston, had 27. . . . Danny Manning, three weeks after his knee operation, said he wasn’t able to follow the just-ended Clipper losing streak very closely, although he is considering coming to a game soon. “Right now, I’m kind of in my own world,” Manning said, referring to his concentrated efforts on rehabilitation.