Clippers’ Norman Presses His Point : Pro basketball: His scoring, defense in the final minutes help L.A. rally to a 104-97 victory over the Suns.

Ken Norman has been pressing. Not pressing in the full-court, defensive sense, but in wanting to look good for Larry Brown, the new coach he says is a joy to play for.

Friday night, Norman im pressed. Two free throws, a crucial defensive play, a key rebound and a late basket, all in the final 1:32, led the Clippers to a 104-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns before 11,677 at the Sports Arena.

“I thought he was phenomenal the whole second half,” Brown said after the Clippers won for the second time in as many tries after the all-star break.

“A couple of times, he ran out on the break and didn’t get the ball, but enabled others to get open. He defended well on (Dan) Majerle and got every big rebound. He was so active. It was fun to watch him.”

Watch him:

--Make two free throws with 1:32 to play to give the Clippers a 96-95 lead as part of an 11-0 run. A 53.6% shooter from the line coming in, Norman said he has had better concentration since deciding during the break to emphasize that area.

--Make the defensive play of the game. On the Suns’ next possession, switching from his man, Majerle, as the Suns ran a pick-and-role high on the left side, Norman moved across the lane and knocked the ball away from Kevin Johnson, who was driving to the basket. Ron Harper picked it up and went the other way for a layup, a 98-95 lead and what turned out to be the winning points.

“I could see he (Johnson) wasn’t protecting the ball as well as he normally does,” said Norman, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. “I just reached for it and got a piece of it.”

--Grab an offensive rebound off a missed free throw by Gary Grant. In deep, Norman double-pumped for a reverse layup with 17 seconds to play, giving the Clippers (24-25) a 103-95 lead that would never be challenged.

The Clippers overcame a second-quarter surge by the Suns that was all the more painful because it came with Johnson and Jeff Hornacek on the bench. It was left to Steve Burtt, the former Clipper signed to a 10-day contract earlier in the day, and Cedric Ceballos to oversee the damage.

That second quarter began with the Clippers trailing by only 28-26. From there, however, the Suns went on a 14-4 run, with Johnson and Hornacek still resting on the bench.

Shortly after the starting backcourt returned, the Suns, who began the night as the second-highest scoring team in the league, extended their lead to 49-36. But the Clippers responded, scoring on five of their final seven possessions of the half.

They were within 54-47 at halftime, despite shooting 43.2% and being outrebounded by eight during the first half. The Clippers’ Danny Manning made eight of 11 shots en route to 18 first-half points, nine more than any player to that stage.

The third quarter provided something of a replay. The Suns pulled away, 67-53, a little more than three minutes into the half, but the Clippers pulled to 78-74 on Danny Young’s three-pointer from the right side with 32 seconds to play in the quarter.

Clipper Notes

Larry Brown, who got his 600th coaching victory in his Clipper debut Wednesday, won 229 in the American Basketball Assn. and 371 in the NBA. That puts him 21st on the all-time NBA list and sixth among active coaches. “I was fired at 599, and friends teased me that I would have to wait until next year to get 600,” Brown said. “I teased them back that I’ve also got 171 in college that don’t count.”