Anticipation Is Hardest Part of Clipper Victory : Pro basketball: Fourth-quarter rally beats Spurs, Larry Brown’s former employers, 124-110, and makes his new team 4-0 since he became its coach.

Larry Brown didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve Monday night. They were on his whole wardrobe.

But the day he dreaded--facing the San Antonio Spurs a little less than a month after they fired him--didn’t turn out so badly. Severe angst in the morning and afternoon was followed by the rest-and-relaxation portion of the agenda, the 124-110 Clippers victory before 14,404 at the Sports Arena behind a season-high 26 points by James Edwards and 24 from Ron Harper.

If Brown bit his fingernails, he would have been down to the second knuckle by lunch. As it was, he sweated through his shirt so much he may have ruined his jacket.

“I didn’t want to play this game, to be honest,” Brown said after the Clippers improved to 26-25 and went over .500 for the first time since Jan. 8. “I don’t enjoy watching a team that I got to coach. They’re a great team, and they won a lot of games for me as a coach. It was hard watching them (the Spurs) play. I didn’t know what to do.”

Bob Bass, who came down from the front office to replace Brown as San Antonio coach, apparently didn’t know what to say. He ignored at least two questions about Brown afterward, choosing to answer only inquiries about the game.

About the game: The Clippers won their fourth in a row under Brown by shooting 53.4% and passing off for 37 assists against only nine turnovers. For the third game in a row, it took a big rally, climaxed by an 8-1 run midway through the fourth quarter that put them ahead for good.

Brown looked hard at the schedule when contacted by the Clippers about becoming their coach. He immediately saw a grueling second half of February that included two games against Portland and Pheonix and several others against playoff regulars. But Monday was, as he called it, the flashing light.

Even the Clippers’ recent play didn’t still his emotions. Even with a 3-0 start under Brown, even the day after an emotional come-from-behind victory at Portland, even when they came home and had fans cheering them when coming out for warmups. . . .

“It’s been a terrible day,” Brown said before the game. “I’ve been anticipating this day from the first day I talked with the Clippers.

“It’s not a typical game day. I’m always nervous on game day, but this is more uncomfortable than nervous.”

The uneasiness was because it was Brown’s first meeting with most of the Spurs since being fired Jan. 21, though several did call him. It could have been worse. The game could have been in San Antonio.

“The bright spot,” he said of the Clippers having played the Spurs twice in San Antonio, “is that that is over.”

Brown came out to the court moments before tipoff, shook hands with some of the Spurs and hugged Sidney Green and Willie Anderson and assistant coach R.C. Buford. The Spurs proceeded to mug the Clippers, jumping to a 15-point lead in the first quarter.

Then it was gone. The Clippers, staging the kind of comeback they had saved for the second half against Phoenix and Portland, charged to a 55-45 lead with 5:24 left before halftime.

Clipper Notes

Doc Rivers, cautiously optimistic about the strength of his left hamstring, returned to action after missing the last six games and 10 overall because of a strain. He was to be limited to approximately 25 minutes, and his status for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers at the Sports Arena would depend on how the leg responded to his first game since Jan. 31. “I feel good,” Rivers said before the Monday contest, in which he came off the bench behind Gary Grant. “A little weird about it, too, because the last time it felt good I went out and got hurt. But we gave it some extra time off this time. It doesn’t feel normal and it won’t for a while, I guess. But I need to get into a game and see.” . . . Charles Smith, who missed his fourth consecutive game because of swelling and soreness in his right knee, is improving and has been upgraded to day-to-day, team physician Dr. Tony Daly said after a pre-game examination. Playing Wednesday, however, is a long shot.