SuperSonic Forward Remains a Constant : Clippers: High-scoring Xavier McDaniel helps Seattle take early lead, then it holds on to edge Los Angeles, 104-100.

The X-factor, of late more prominent in box scores than algebraic equations and tougher to solve, presented the Clippers with an especially puzzling equation Saturday night.

How to stop a hot forward when two front-court starters, Joe Wolf and Ken Norman, are home because of injuries, and another, Danny Manning, is supposed to have his time limited to 20 minutes?

X equals problems. In theory and reality.

Doing most of his damage early, which allowed Seattle to build a tenuous but insurmountable lead, Xavier McDaniel had 24 points as the SuperSonics edged the Clippers, 104-100, before 12,549 at Seattle Coliseum.

If moral victories counted, the Clippers, close losers to New York, San Antonio and the Lakers, would be NBA champions. Instead, they are 6-11, including 0-7 on the road.

This time, they came within a few plays of victory.

“I’m not regurgitating comments to say it’s a sign of progress,” said Coach Don Casey, who continues to be critical of officials. “One of these days, somebody is going to let us win on the road--us, the other team. I don’t know (who). God?”

The Clippers came close on their own.

While having six players score in double figures and Benoit Benjamin grab 14 rebounds, seven on offense while starting in place of Wolf, the Clippers were within eight points heading into the fourth quarter.

A 19-10 run soon after cut the Seattle lead to 92-91. The Clippers scored on seven of eight possessions during one streak within the run.

But when it mattered most, they got sloppy. Within 96-93 with 2:02 remaining, the Clippers committed back-to-back turnovers on bad passes by Gary Grant and Ron Harper.

Seattle pushed the lead back to 98-93 on a pair of free throws by Dale Ellis with 1:34 left and held on. Ellis finished with a game-high 28 points, 16 in the second half, and Michael Cage and Derrick McKey added 15 and 12 rebounds, respectively.

Manning picked up some of the Clippers’ slack inside with 15 points (13 in the final two quarters) and eight rebounds. He also exceeded his 20-minute comeback limit.

“That was a long 20 minutes, wasn’t it?” Manning deadpanned.

Exactly how long--the Clippers say he didn’t go a true 31 minutes since all time is rounded off--and what will happen for going against doctor’s orders will no doubt be determined soon. Casey was in no mood to debate minutes when he could seemingly have talked for hours about calls going against his team, although he wasn’t upset with any one in particular.

He will also have to wait another couple of days to see if Norman (tendinitis in a knee and a sore wrist) or Wolf (strained lower back muscle) will be healthy enough to join the Clippers Tuesday night at Portland.

McDaniel came in having scored 36, 26 and 37 points the previous three games, a span when he also shot 62.3%. In the first half against the Clippers, against whom he averaged 23.2 points in five meetings last season, it was more of the same.

With eight points in the first quarter and 10 in the second, McDaniel hit seven of nine attempts and led all scorers into intermission. McDaniel also finished the half by scoring Seattle’s final eight points--two on a tip-in of McKey’s miss, four on jump shots and two on free throws--allowing the SuperSonics (11-7) to take a 54-48 lead.

The Clippers opened the third quarter by going scoreless for the first 3:12. Harper broke that with an eight-foot bank shot from the right side, but that only cut Seattle’s advantage to 59-50. It reached 63-50, setting the stage for a big comeback just to get close.

Clipper Notes

Quintin Dailey, who spent the last three seasons with the Clippers until his option was not picked up, is close to signing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the CBA. His rights once belonged to Santa Barbara, but the Islanders traded him to the South Dakota franchise for a sixth-round draft choice in 1990--among players not picked in the two rounds of the NBA draft--and a player to be named later.

Seattle center Michael Cage survived last week, which is all anyone could have hoped for when the converted forward faced, in order, 7-2 James Donaldson of Dallas, 7-0 Patrick Ewing of New York, the depth of the Detroit Pistons’ front line and 6-11 Akeem Olajuwon of Houston. “It’s been pretty stressful lately,” Cage, a former Clipper, said before the game. “You name him, he’s been here.”