NBA NOTEBOOK : Against the Clippers, Strom Saw It Wrong

Nearly seven months later, Earl Strom pleaded mea culpa to the Clippers.

At issue is the Nov. 24 game against San Antonio at the Sports Arena, one of the most devastating Clipper losses, injuries aside, of a 30-52 season. It was a 90-89 defeat in regulation that could have at least gone to overtime if Strom had given Charles Smith credit for a three-point basket in the closing seconds, as television replays clearly indicated, instead of two.

That setback stayed with the Clippers as long as any from 1989-90 and started what they saw as a trend of referees not giving a young team fair breaks. Wednesday, while advocating the use of instant replays in games, Strom, who is retiring after 32 years as a professional official at the conclusion of the NBA finals, admitted they had a right to be upset.

“My eyes went immediately to the clock because you couldn’t hear the horn,” Strom said at his farewell news conference while discussing the Clipper incident. “As the ball was in the air, I saw 0:00. So I knew the shot was good and I immediately put my hand up (to signal a three-pointer), not even looking where he had taken off. All I was interested in was the shot clock and whether the ball was out of his hands.

“The ball goes in the basket, I look over, and they (the Clippers) are screaming, ‘Three! Three! Three!’ I looked down, and there he is, over the line by a good foot. I didn’t know that his momentum had carried him over the line.

“I looked down and said, ‘Two.’ Of course, (Spur Coach) Larry Brown’s running up. He says, ‘Good call, Earl.’ Larry and I go back a long way. He wouldn’t lie to me. (Clipper Coach Don) Casey is such a nice guy. We go back a long way. He never even says a word to me.

“So, I walk by Keith Erickson and Eddie Doucette, who are doing the game on TV. Had they stopped at that moment and said, ‘You are wrong, it was obviously a three,’ I would have looked at it (on the monitor), even though we’re not supposed to. I would have paid the fine because . . . what is important is to get the call right, not how bad you look or what the office thinks about fining you. I would have paid the $2,000 fine. I would have looked at it and said, ‘OK, guys, we’re playing OT.’

“They didn’t say anything. They didn’t even look at me. So we get to the dressing room, and Tommy Nunez and Terry Durham (the other referees) are with me. I said, ‘Did either of you guys get a good look?’ Tommy Nunez said, ‘No I was all the way back.’ . . . I looked at Terry and said, ‘You get a good look at it? That was a three, wasn’t it?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I think it was.’ I said, ‘Why didn’t you say anything to me?’ and he says, ‘Knowing you, Earl, I didn’t want you to scream at me.’

“I was really upset and I had a strong inclination to get those players out and say, ‘Come on, guys. We’re gonna play some more.’

“So I went back to the hotel and I went to the lounge, something I infrequently do, and a guy comes over to me. He’s a typical loudmouth fan. He was watching the game on TV, and he says, ‘You really kicked the hell out of that play.’ I said, ‘Was it that obvious?’ He says, ‘Naah. He (Smith) was only this far behind the line (thumb and finger an inch apart).’ Then, I didn’t feel bad.

“I continued to have a drink, and the highlights come on ESPN, and they said, ‘Take a look at this play, folks.’ I had a drink up to my mouth and saw Charles Smith take off that far (hands spread about a yard apart) behind the line. I almost choked on my drink. I said, ‘That much? That’s a mile.’ ”

Joe Dumars, who scored 26 points in Game 4, just two days after the death of his father, issued a statement through the Pistons:

“First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has treated me with great respect during the past few days. The fans of Portland have offered nothing but encouragement and that has helped me tremendously. While I have asked not to be interviewed, the media (have) also been very supportive by allowing me to remain in the background. The concern of all the fans back in Detroit has been overwhelming, If any of you have gone through a situation like this you realize how important and helpful the support is. From the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone.”

Piston Dennis Rodman figures to be out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game, but there are encouraging signs regarding his sprained left ankle.

“He’s going to let me play a little bit, probably in the second quarter,” Rodman said of Coach Chuck Daly. “If that goes well, maybe he’ll continue to play me.”

Rodman skipped Game 3 completely and played only the last 52 seconds Tuesday night.

Drazen Petrovic’s season lasted longer than any of the other much-publicized first-year players from Europe, a positive note even if the Portland guard has struggled in his time off the bench. Still, it’s better to have your team fall behind here than there.

“In Europe, if your team goes down, people will usually start to put money on the floor,” the Yugoslav native said.

Put money down?

“Throw it at the players. It would be dangerous if you got down by 10 or 15 points at home like we did (Tuesday).”

He wasn’t talking crumpled bills, either. More like coins, sometimes heated, rifled at the players.