Emotions Help Carry Clippers

On the occasion of the Clippers’ first game at the Sports Arena since Dec. 30:

There was a nose-to-nose encounter session between the starting centers, the Clippers’ point guard was kicked out of the game with 15 minutes to play, their power forward got another cold shoulder and a locker room movie showed Kevin Kline catching the bad guy.

Oh, yes, and the Clippers’ 98-94 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics Monday night was worthy of a kiss, no less.

That does not include the 25 points and nine assists by Ron Harper, the 20 points by Danny Manning, including two late crucial baskets, and the 16 points and 14 rebounds by Olden Polynice against his former teammates.

Motivation was everywhere for the Clippers. Foremost was beating the SuperSonics, just in case it affected the Western Conference playoff picture down the road. They also wanted to rebound from a 2-4 Eastern Conference trip.

And, for Polynice, emotion served as the perfect antidote for the stomach pains that have bothered him since Friday.

“One, I was trying to psych myself up so I didn’t think about my stomach,” he said. “Two, I was trying to beat this team.”

The Clippers, back at .500 at 19-19, did it without point guard Doc Rivers or power forward Charles Smith around at the end.

Smith was forced out in the second quarter by the nagging strained shoulder muscle that has been a major cause of his shooting 31.5% the last six games. Rivers was forced out in the third quarter by referee Wally Rooney, who gave Rivers back-to-back technicals. It was Rivers’ first ejection since his rookie season.

“I said, ‘You changed the call and that’s not right,’ ” Rivers said of his conversation with Rooney, complaining about being called for the offensive foul the previous possession. “I got a technical. I said, ‘Wally, that’s not right.’ Then he threw me out.”

Gone with 3:07 left in the third quarter and replaced by Danny Young, Rivers passed the time in the Clippers’ locker room watching the movie “January Man.”

It wasn’t until public relations assistant Greg Scharlach came in and told him he could get the game on TV that Rivers was able to see what was transpiring 50 feet away. He tuned in for the final 15 seconds, long enough to catch Eddie Johnson’s 14-footer from the left side go long on Seattle’s final try.

“I saw two good endings,” Rivers deadpanned. “They caught the thief and we won the game.”

There was no kiss for the heroes on the big screen.

But emotions rose on the court as the Clippers rallied to take a 69-67 lead, with Harper urging the crowd to rise and Polynice pumping his fist to punctuate several plays.

Not to mention Loy Vaught kissing his teammate.

The peck on the cheek was for Manning, a thank-you for his picturesque wrap-around pass that led to a three-point play for Vaught and tied the score, 67-67.

That only served as a warm-up for the Clippers.

Polynice went face to face with Benoit Benjamin, who was again booed every time he touched the ball. Then, things reached a boiling point when Rivers got the early shower.

From then on, it was up to Young, who had signed only Saturday and had to stick primarily to the three or four plays he knew. But the Clippers’ charge continued, despite the team being down two starters.

In the end, Rivers gave them and the movie a thumbs up.

But their real rating, after a bad start to the month and the successful homecoming, will be determined in the long run, while this stretch of nine of 11 games on the road plays on.

What kind of January men they are is up to them.

Clipper Notes

Playing his former teammates provided extra incentive for Olden Polynice, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous game with severe stomach pains. “I’ve been trying not to think about the stomach and think only about the game,” Polynice said. “I’m not missing these games, tonight and Thursday.”

For the second consecutive game, Gary Grant did not suit up because of a strained abdominal muscle. He is listed as day to day. . . . Seattle’s Ricky Pierce, averaging 23.2 points, stayed at the hotel because of flu. . . . New Clipper Danny Young, who wore No. 31 in his debut Saturday at Washington, has switched to No. 21.