Clippers Start Short, Finish Same Way : Pro Basketball: Playing without Smith, Norman and Wolf, L.A. gives Portland a game before falling, 99-92.

This run for respectability by the Clippers has suddenly, if only temporarily, turned into a race of attrition.

Using nine players in what usually is a 12-man relay, they lost for the third consecutive time on the road. That the Clippers stayed close here, site now of 27 losses in a row, meant something, but the end result Tuesday night was a 99-92 victory for the Portland Trail Blazers.

The crowd of 12,884 at Portland Memorial Coliseum, accustomed to seeing the Clippers lose under all circumstances in a streak that dates back to Feb. 24, 1981, had to be surprised to see the Trail Blazers struggling against a team without its entire starting front line. But even minus Ken Norman (tendinitis in his knees and sore wrist), Joe Wolf (sprained back muscle) and Charles Smith (toe injury), the Clippers managed to be a pain in the neck.

“And we didn’t really have nine people,” Coach Don Casey said. “It was really 8 1/2, if you count the guy we have for 20 minutes.”

That, of course, would be Danny Manning. After breaking the supposed limit by 11 minutes Saturday at Seattle, he was held to 21 against Portland, contributing six points and four rebounds.

“There’s a slight sense of achievement, yet a sense of frustration,” said Tom Garrick, who had 20 points off the bench, prompting positive reviews from Casey. “We’re not worried about it (playing short-handed). That’s why we’ve played so well. We played our butts off. We’re not crying about it.”

The Clippers (6-12, including 0-8 on the road) certainly didn’t look bothered during the game. Thanks to poor shooting by both teams, they stayed close to the NBA’s winningest team the entire way, leading as late as 85-84 with 3:46 to play before Portland gained control for good.

The Trail Blazers, though still in second place in the Pacific Division, percentage points behind the Lakers, improved to 16-6. They have won nine in a row at home.

Smith took part in the light shoot-around earlier in the day despite a sprained tendon in the big toe of his right foot that he injured last Thursday. It wasn’t decided he would sit out because of until a few hours before the game. Casey, left with few options, decided on his starting lineup about 20 minutes before tipoff.

“That’s why not dressing is so hard, because we’re already without some key guys,” said Smith, who is averaging 18 points, third best on the team behind Ron Harper and Norman, and shooting 52.5%. “But it was an either-or situation--either tonight or tomorrow. I knew if I ran tonight, I’d be messed up for the Pistons.”

So Smith chose to sit against Portland and play against Detroit at the Sports Arena. More than the opponent, the determination was based on time--he figures the toe, which caused pain and forced him to run awkwardly, could heal after playing tonight since the Clippers will then be off until Saturday.

Casey’s options included having Harper step up to small forward and starting Garrick, or simply putting Ken Bannister in place of Smith. But the coach gave Michael Young his second start of the season at Norman’s spot, and Young responded with 13 points and six rebounds.

The lineup was patchwork, the bench thin. No wonder the fans, not to mention Portland Coach Rick Adelman, were restless when the Clippers jumped out to a 13-5 lead and the Trail Blazers went without a field goal for 4:57 of the first quarter.

After the Clipper advantage went to 16-7, Portland charged back to tie, 20-20, at the end of the first quarter. But the Trail Blazers followed that with another offensive draught, this time going 4:40 without a basket from the field.

They got behind again, 38-32, before putting on a late second-quarter run to pull within a point, 40-39, at halftime, despite shooting a horrendous 37.5%. The Clippers were at 37.8%.

Bannister led all first-half scorers with 10 points and also had four rebounds. He finished with 15 and seven, respectively, tying season highs for both.

The Clippers outshot Portland, 45.3%-41.8%. But they were also outscored by the Trail Blazers, 60-52, in the second half.

“There were two good things about this game--we won the game and we executed well down the stretch,” Adelman said. “We had some big baskets; that’s what won it for us. The Clippers did what they had to do, but remember, this is not the same Clipper team you’ll see later on.”

Clipper Notes

Don Casey wore a wireless microphone during last Thursday’s win over Cleveland as part of a video with NBA Entertainment, though the Clipper coach wasn’t concerned that he might accidentally use some off-color language. “I’m not worried about saying the wrong thing,” Casey said. “I just don’t want to appear overly brilliant or subtly dumb.” . . . Last Tuesday’s telecast of the Clipper-Laker game was the highest-rated Clipper broadcast ever on Channel 5.