Trail Blazers End Drought, Regain Reign : Pro basketball: They return to first place in Pacific Division after beating Clippers, 100-96.

Perhaps without knowing he was using such a timely analogy, Buck Williams came to Southern California and talked of the Portland Trail Blazers’ drought, otherwise known as eight losses in 11 games.

“But we’re back tonight,” Williams said Wednesday night after teammate Terry Porter scored 28 points and Clyde Drexler had a triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100-96 victory over the Clippers before 12,270 at the Sports Arena.

Like a light mist, just barely. But, thanks to the Lakers losing in Seattle, Portland reclaimed first place in the Pacific Division by half a game only 24 hours after being displaced for the first time all season. Navigating the Pacific could be treacherous the rest of the way, but beating the Clippers was important to the Trail Blazers, beyond the standings and beyond avenging a loss that Portland players termed “shocking” and “embarrassing” four days ago on their home court.

“Tonight, we were a little more enthusiastic, and we had a little more oomph,” Williams said. “When you’re so successful and when you’re riding so high, it’s hard to descend. I think we lost some confidence. Tonight we got it back.”

But they were tested by the Clippers, who played the second half without Danny Manning. Mainning sprained his left ankle with two minutes remaining in the second quarter and will have precautionary X-rays today. It was 88-88 before Portland used a 7-2 rally over 2:21 to turn the game, and the Trail Blazers put it away by making five of six free throws the last 31 seconds.

“I think you have to give Portland a whole lot of credit,” Clipper Coach Mike Schuler said. “They played like a team possessed.”

The Trail Blazers were ailing, though. Danny Ainge missed his second consecutive game with an upper respiratory infection and Kevin Duckworth sat out the second half because of flu.

Clipper Notes

Ron Harper led the Clippers with 25 points, and Charles Smith had 17 points and 12 rebounds. . . . After talking with several players, but not the two involved, and assistants Alvin Gentry and John Hammond, Coach Mike Schuler termed Tuesday’s postgame brief shouting match between Olden Polynice and Gary Grant “very, very unimportant” and said he didn’t plan to bring the incident up with either player. If anything, he added, it was another example of the approach Polynice has brought since being acquired Feb. 20 from Seattle. “I think he’s into taking this all very seriously, at least from what he’s shown me,” Schuler said. “That type of attitude is something this team has been lacking.” Said Grant, while still downplaying the locker-room scene after the Clippers’ 119-105 defeat at the Forum: “I didn’t appreciate him (Polynice) saying I was laughing because we lost. I was laughing because of something that happened during the game. Everyone, including him, was laughing because Ken Bannister got dunked on.”

Indiana might have used alleged negative comments toward the Pacers by Clipper owner Donald T. Sterling as motivation to win at the Sports Arena last Friday, but Sterling insists he never said anything negative during the All-Star break, as forward LaSalle Thompson contended. “It’s just not true,” Sterling said, adding he didn’t hear any of the responses Thompson shouted toward the front-row seats after the game. “I don’t have the right to say anything negative about anyone, let’s be honest. The owner (Herb Simon) and I are the closest of friends. Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn’t say anything negative about any team or the player.”