Garrick Punishes Clippers : Pro basketball: He scores only 12 points but plays a big role in the Spurs’ 107-93 victory.

On their longest trip of the first two months of the season, the Clippers met an old friend who did anything but help them find their way.

Tom Garrick didn’t overwhelm anyone with his numbers Wednesday night at HemisFair Arena. His contributions of 12 points and two steals in 28 minutes were very Off-Broadway, contrasted with the 21 points and 11 rebounds of Sean Elliott and the 24 points of David Robinson.

But while his statistics often are easily overlooked, Garrick’s contributions to helping the San Antonio Spurs beat his former teammates, 107-93, were anything but.

Take it from the Clippers.

“Sensational,” Coach Mike Schuler said.

“He had a very important impact on their club,” said Ron Harper, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort.

“Tom played the same tonight that he does every time he steps on the court,” Danny Manning added.

That is, with the tenacious defense that made him a Clipper favorite before they decided not to re-sign him after three seasons in Los Angeles.

The defense helped the Spurs come back from a 50-45 halftime deficit by holding the Clippers to 35% in the third quarter.

The key was a 19-4 charge by San Antonio that turned a 54-49 hole into a 68-58 advantage. The Clippers never led again.

“We got hurt in the third quarter because we couldn’t get anything to go in the basket,” Schuler said. “We had some awfully good looks but just couldn’t get the ball to fall. . . . We did not make anything. They got the rebound and converted at the other end. That’s the biggest part of the game.”

When the Clippers--5-3 overall and 0-3 away from Los Angeles County--seemed ready to climb back, Garrick made another crucial defensive play. They trailed, 97-91, with 2:31 to play when Schuler told Harper to call time out as soon as he crossed halfcourt with the ball.

The only hitch was that Garrick made a late dash and forced Harper to make a spin move a few feet from the Clipper bench. Partially losing his footing, Harper slipped and stepped out of bounds.

The Clippers didn’t get their time out. At least not until the Spurs scored again, Elliott’s tip of a missed shot by Willie Anderson putting them ahead, 103-91. A potential four-point switch with 1:36 to play.

“It felt good,” said Garrick, who is second-string behind Avery Johnson with the continued absence of unsigned free agent Rod Strickland. For the second consecutive game, Garrick played more minutes than Johnson.

“I know these guys and I know the organization,” Garrick said. “I’m not vindictive toward the organization. I want to give my best no matter who we are playing. At the same time--and I don’t want to sound bitter--that is the team that let you go.”

Clipper Notes

Loy Vaught was a big fan of “Candid Camera” while growing up but has always said he wouldn’t fall for most of the gags. Now he knows better after having been set up by teammate Bo Kimble for a basketball bloopers show scheduled for December. In the gag, Vaught and Kimble left the Westwood Recreation Center after a recent practice and found a woman distressed about locking her keys inside a Mercedes-Benz. The woman said someone brought her a hammer, so Kimble picked it up, and when the lady went inside to supposedly use the phone, broke the window. Kimble then handed the hammer to Vaught and said he would tell the lady. After a series of planned incidents that included a police car arriving on cue, Vaught dropped the hammer and tried to hide it with his feet. The actor posing as the policeman called for assistance and mentioned “vandalism.” The lady and Kimble returned and confessed, to the laughter of everyone involved. “I couldn’t believe he did that to me,” Vaught said. “I looked at him and said, ‘Why me?’ I guess I’m the most gullible.” And potentially the most devious. “If somebody comes to me with an idea to get Bo Kimble,” Vaught said, “I only have two words: When and where.”