Pistons Flatten Clippers

At worse, the Detroit Pistons are good theater. A few nose-to-nose discussions with the opponent. Bill Laimbeer gets called for a foul, complains, the crowd boos louder than it cheers any offensive play by the home team. It’s scripted by now.

At best, they are a methodical piece of unrelenting machinery. Like so many before them, the Clippers got that version Wednesday night at the Sports Arena in a 110-83 loss to the two-time defending champions before 14,652.

Such an outcome was without precedent, for a year at least. The last two meetings between the teams were a split of four-point games in which neither scored more than 84 points. The Pistons, who came in having lost two of their last three at the Sports Arena, had that many with 10:27 left.

“That’s what we say was a good old-fashioned butt whipping,” Coach Mike Schuler said after the Clippers dropped to 2-2. “They came in here bound and determined to win the game. They hurt us just about any way you could hurt us in a basketball game.”

Indeed, that Detroit was coming off a loss didn’t help the Clippers’ cause. This is a team that doesn’t need extra motivation.

“Over the years, the good teams don’t forget,” Piston Coach Chuck Daly said. “Our players don’t like losing. They seemed to respond.”

No Piston scored more than the 25 points by Joe Dumars, but four others had at least 12. Dennis Rodman had 11 rebounds off the bench, five on the offensive end. Methodical.

“We took whatever they gave us,” Dumars said. “We ran in the first half. In the second half, we slowed down and executed.”

Again playing without Charles Smith, who did not dress because of a foot injury, the Clippers never led. Once out of it, they were really gone, scoring only 16 points in the fourth quarter to finish with their fewest since the 69th game last season.

Benoit Benjamin, who started for the first time this season, had a team-high 18 points, with Ken Norman, Gary Grant and Bo Kimble adding 11 each. Did we forget to mention the Pistons’ defense?

To make matters worse, the Clippers were missing easy shots, a plague that they have yet to shake.

“They were shots we figured to make and have made,” Schuler said. “We can’t guarantee that they’ll go in. But if we get the same shots Saturday night (against the Atlanta Hawks), we’ll be OK.”

The Clippers, also coming off a road loss the night before, got a boost from Benjamin’s return after he had been out three games with a separated shoulder. Attempting to take advantage of a new-found offensive presence on the low post, they went to him three of the first five trips down court.

Benjamin responded with two baskets, and the Clippers kept within reach for a while, but never led. They did, however, tie the score, 19-19, when Bo Kimble scored inside with 5:25 left in the first quarter.

The Clippers’ fun ended there. The had five turnovers in the next six possessions, opportunities the Pistons didn’t waste, going on a 9-0 surge.

The second quarter didn’t bring much relief for the Clippers. They made 39.1% of their shots, surrendered nine points to Johnson, and trailed at halftime, 60-44.

By that time, three Pistons were already in double figures, Dumars with 13 and James Edwards and Isiah Thomas with 12 each.

Clipper Notes

Ken Bannister, who moved back to his role as backup center Wednesday when starter Benoit Benjamin returned to the lineup, has announced he will donate $50 for every missed free throw. This is not your average charity. Bannister has a reputation as one of the worst shooters in the league from the line. He went into the Pistons’ game having made seven of 26 free throws (26.9%), including one for 11 Sunday against Golden State. Based on 58 misses in 110 tries last season (47.3%), he would have donated $2,900. The specifics are being worked out, but the bulk of the money will go to a program for school children at the Los Angeles Zoo. Not coincidentally, Bannister’s nickname, coined during his days with the New York Knicks because of his rough style of play, is Animal. “It’s for the Animals,” said Bannister, who shoots 100 free throws a day and is working with assistant coach John Hammond in an attempt to improve his percentage. “I’ve got to take care of my friends.”

Benjamin clearly wasn’t 100%. Going for a rebound midway through the first quarter, he winced and grabbed his right shoulder. “It’s good enough to try to play,” he said before the game.