Edwards Propels Clippers : NBA: His shot in final seconds produces 107-106 victory over the Trail Blazers, who play without Drexler.

Danny Young got to play assistant coach, Gary Grant got between Terry Porter and the basket, and James Edwards got to push back at the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Clippers as a whole? They got their first road victory since Jan. 8. And so much more.

“It gives us a lift,” Edwards said Sunday night after the Clippers beat the Trail Blazers, 107-106, at Portland Memorial Coliseum on his 14-foot, turnaround baseline jumper with 5.7 seconds to play.

“It gives us confidence that we can beat the elite teams. It proves to us that if we play hard, good things will happen. That’s exactly what happened in the second half.”

What happened was the Clippers, a game after coming back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter against Phoenix, rallied this time from 15 down in the second quarter.

The victory, fueled by Danny Manning’s season-high 31 points, came against the winningest team in the Western Conference, albeit one without the services of All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, sidelined because of a sprained toe. The Trail Blazers had won 13 in a row at home and 30 of the last 31 here against the Clippers.

The Trail Blazers led, 97-90, with 4:26 remaining, and 103-97 with 1:57 to play. They led the entire game, until the Clippers’ final possession.

Portland led by 106-105 despite being on the wrong end of a 6-1 run. The Clippers got their chance when Jerome Kersey stepped out of bounds trying to save a ball, and, after deciding not to call a timeout for fear of letting the Trail Blazers set up on defense, capitalized when Grant got the ball to Edwards.

Edwards had made only two of his previous seven shots, partly because of the defense played by Kevin Duckworth. This time, Edwards was isolated along the left baseline with Cliff Robinson providing coverage.

When Porter broke from the perimeter to double team, Edwards wheeled. The momentum from his shot carried him out of bounds in midair, forcing Edwards to shoot at an awkward direction.

“I had an angle,” said Coach Larry Brown, across the baseline on the Clipper bench. “He was behind the backboard, I think. But I’m sure that at 36 years old, he’s taken that shot before.”

It looked like it. Edwards gave the Clippers--winners of three in a row under Brown against teams with winning records--the 107-106 lead. When the Trail Blazers called a timeout, Brown asked reserve guard Danny Young, signed after being waived by Portland on Jan. 7, for his advice in the huddle.

Young predicted the Trail Blazers would get the ball to Porter, who would try to drive. Which is what they did.

Guarded closely by Grant, who had already scored two of the final three Clipper baskets, Porter came down the left side and got within 18 feet of the basket. Then he picked up his dribble and got stuck. When Porter, who finished with 29 points, started to pass into the middle, Grant knocked the ball away, preserving the victory.

“He held the ball a long time,” said Grant, who finished with 18 points and eight assists. “I didn’t know if he was waiting to pass or not. It was to my advantage that he didn’t get the ball and then just take off. This allowed me to hold my position.”

Drexler, sidelined for only the 24th time in a possible 706 regular-season games, had averaged 31.5 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and shot 54% in two previous games against the Clippers.

Not that his absence seemed to make much of a difference at the start. The Trail Blazers made three three-pointers and opened a 22-8 lead.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers appear to be headed toward Thursday’s trade deadline while still working on a long-discussed deal that would send Charles Barkley to Los Angeles. The current price tag is Charles Smith, Ken Norman, Bo Kimble and two No. 1 draft choices. One problem is the salary cap; the Clippers would have to make another trade or renegotiate a contract to get under it and make the deal.