Clippers, Casey Win Battle of Interim Coaches : A Fast Start Helps L.A. Turn Back Adelman and His Trail Blazers, 133-123

There were hot seats all over Thursday, and not just outside under the sun. Two were inside the Sports Arena.

This was the Battle of the Interims, after all. Don Casey of the Clippers and Rick Adelman of the Portland Trail Blazers, both officially temporary coaches hoping, often struggling, to land permanent spots when the season ends in nine games.

“We know what each other is going through,” Adelman said.

Especially after the game. The Clippers, the third-losingest team in the National Basketball Assn., beat Portland, 133-123, for their first victory over the Trail Blazers in five tries this season, with a meeting next Tuesday in Oregon still ahead.

It was also the seventh loss in nine games for the Trail Blazers, while the Clippers have won seven of their last 13.

As for the coaches: Adelman is 9-17 since replacing the fired Mike Schuler Feb. 18. Casey is 8-27 since Gene Shue was dismissed Jan. 19.

The last time Adelman, a graduate of Pius X High School in Downey, came to the Sports Arena, about 20 family members and friends were on hand for support. That was March 2, and the Trail Blazers beat the Clippers, 119-113.

“It’s different,” he said of his role as head coach. “When you’re a player, it is a lot harder because people want to see you. Being an assistant, it’s not that big of a deal. But when you then become a head coach, it’s like when you were a player again. The last time being here was like a happening for our family.”

One family happening Adelman would like to avoid is having to move from Portland. The Trail Blazers, while going through a tough road schedule and injuries, have responded to him, especially after the heavy-handed Schuler, he of the Thanksgiving Day practice.

With all the problems, Portland still has a good chance to make the playoffs and a probable first-round matchup against the Lakers. The Trail Blazers (34-39) hold a one-game lead over Dallas for the eighth and final berth in the Western Conference. That, among other reasons, makes the 42-year-old Adelman think he deserves a shot at the job permanently.

“I feel like I do,” he said. “I’ve spent 5 1/2 years as an assistant here and tried to do everything the head man asked. I took over the situation knowing it would be tough, but I’d love the chance to start fresh next season and see what I can do with the team from the start of the year.

“Sure, you always think about the interim status. I’m living in Portland with my wife and four kids and we would like to stay there. I try not to worry too much about it, even if I do think about it, because it can consume you if you let it.

“It has been difficult, but not any tougher than I expected. This is my sixth year with the organization, so I knew what was going on. I sort of anticipated what could happen. It has, in a lot of ways, been more frustrating than difficult, because, despite the record since I’ve taken over, we haven’t been playing real bad. But we just did not win all the games.”

They certainly didn’t Thursday night, when the Clippers made 12 of 15 shots in the first quarter to take a 31-26 advantage and then pushed the lead to 17 with 8:47 left in the first half, 44-27.

The Clippers (18-55) shot an impressive 61.9% in the first two quarters and finished the game at 63%. It’s their highest mark of the season, and the 133 points are also their most in a regular game in 1988-89.

Ken Norman scored a team-high 34 points for the Clippers, while Benoit Benjamin added 29 points and 11 rebounds. Portland’s Clyde Drexler led all scorers with 36 points.

In beating the Trail Blazers for the first time since Feb. 13, 1986, a span of 18 games, the Clippers made their final 12 free throws of the game and 13 of 14 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a plus whoever we beat,” said Gary Grant, who had a career-high 20 assists to go with 17 points. “We’ve got that spiritual thing no matter who we beat because it shows we can win. It feels good inside.”

Clipper Notes

Tuesday night’s sellout crowd of 15,352 pushed the Clippers’ attendance to 388,260 for the season, breaking the team’s previous Los Angeles record of 384,119 set in 1984-85, their first after moving north from San Diego. Thursday night’s crowd of 9,636 made it 397,896, an average of 11,053 a game, with five home games remaining. Phoenix is in Saturday. . . . Quintin Dailey did not dress after undergoing dental surgery earlier in the day. . . . Joe Wolf, out the last three games with strained ligaments in his right elbow, has his arm out of a sling ahead of schedule but remains day to day. . . . Tests to determine if Charles Smith needs arthroscopic surgery on his left knee have been delayed until sometime next week. . . . The assists-to-turnover ratio for Gary Grant in the last six games: 20-3, 10-7, 17-2, 5-6, 14-3, 17-5. . . . This was the Clippers’ 200th game in Los Angeles since moving from San Diego.