Rivers Throws Water on Bullets’ Rally : Pro basketball: Layup beats Washington after 10-point lead disappears. L. A.’s 21st victory equals total for last season.

Bernie LaReau, trainer and enforcer, decided he had had enough. The guy heckling nonstop behind the Clipper bench Thursday night was cooled, if not deterred, when LaReau doused him with a cup of water between the first and second quarters.

Come the fourth quarter, the Clippers were left to solve their own problems, like a response to blowing a 10-point lead in the final 2:35.

The cold slap to the Washington Bullets and the Capital Centre crowd of 6,120 this time came from David Rivers’ three-point play with two seconds to play, allowing the Clippers to pull out a 105-103 victory for their 21st victory, matching the total for all of last season.

Just another day in the life of Rivers. Last Saturday, he stepped in to direct the offense after Gary Grant broke his ankle the previous game. Rivers called that the biggest game of his career.

Monday at Cleveland, he struggled, and the offense did, too, in a 16-point loss.

Now this: the ball at halfcourt and the Clippers trailing, 103-102, with only 8.4 seconds remaining. Charles Smith, the primary target on the play that Don Casey had called during a timeout, was surrounded. Rivers took the ball down the left side near the Clipper bench, double-pumped under the basket to draw a foul from Darrell Walker and laid the ball in.

It was one of only three Clipper field goals and nine points in the final 3:06. But, along with the successful free throw that followed, it was enough.

“I anticipated a few ups and downs,” Rivers said of taking over the offense. “I was thrown into an unexpected situation. But I just wanted to take my time and try to get all the guys involved in the game. I figured that would work better than me trying to prove my abilities.

“This is something I’ve always dreamed about--starting in the NBA. I achieved it. I didn’t achieve it the way I would have liked, but I’m here now, and my job is to come out every night and play with efficiency.”

Efficient, indeed. A career-high 10 assists and the winning basket leave a positive taste going into the All-Star break.

“It lets us know what he’s really capable of,” said teammate Danny Manning, who, with nine points, was held below double figures for the first time since Jan. 13. But he also contributed eight rebounds and six assists. “We had confidence in him all along, but when things like this happen, it’s another boost showing us that he can make any play.”

Rivers’ heroics, followed by Ledell Eackles’ miss on a three-point jump shot for Washington at the buzzer, shouldn’t have been needed.

The Clippers (21-26) led, 90-87, before their 10-3 run opened the cushion to 100-90 with 2:35 left. Rivers and Benoit Benjamin scored four points each in the run. In one stretch of the fourth quarter, the Clippers scored on 10 of 14 possessions.

It went bad from there. Manning’s pass to Smith went long and out of bounds. Smith double-dribbled in the backcourt against a trap. Rivers traveled. Washington’s Mel Turpin knocked away a pass by Rivers intended for Benjamin, and Mark Alarie grabbed it.

When Eackles converted the final miscue into two free throws, the lead had been cut to 100-99 with 1:06 to play. Smith gave the Clippers some room with a layin with 1:01 remaining, but the Bullets, playing without leading scorer Jeff Malone--out because his eyes were so irritated he could not wear contact lenses--cut it to a point again after Eackles hit an off-balance shot in the lane with 37.9 seconds left.

After Smith, who had 23 points and nine rebounds, missed two free throws with 26.3 seconds remaining, Washington, looking for its fifth victory in eight games, took the lead on Alarie’s 17-footer from the right of the line. With 8.4 seconds to play, the Clippers suddenly had to come from behind to avoid a 1-4 trip.

They did, thanks to Rivers on the final play.

Clipper Notes

Bernie LaReau, a trainer for more than 30 years, said he had never done anything like throw water on a fan. But in the timeout between the first and second quarters, there he was, walking behind the Clipper bench and tossing about a half-cup worth on a fan, who has gained notoriety in these parts for similar antics in the past. “He was yelling garbage the whole game,” LaReau said. “I figured, hell, I’ll take a chance and throw it at him when he’s not looking.” The heckler was undaunted. He continued for most of the game. When he started in on Benoit Benjamin during another timeout, the Clipper center looked up and faked under-handing a paper cup at him.

Benjamin had 24 points and 16 rebounds. Washington’s Bernard King led all scorers with 37. . . . David Rivers, on reaching double figures in assists for the first time as a pro: “In college, I was used to that column,” he said, smiling.