Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 24, 1992

Sports Arena-mania has struck Los Angeles. . . .

USC and the Clippers are turning jeers into cheers, empty seats into full ones, and losses into victories at what used to be a house of horrors for the home teams on Figueroa Street. . . .

Between them, they are 31-10 at the Arena this season. . . .

USC will have its first sellout since 1979 Thursday night against UCLA and already has sold more than 10,000 tickets for Arizona March 14. The Clippers drew back-to-back capacity crowds of 15,800 against the Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers last week. . . .

“I really don’t think we have it today,” Coach George Raveling told assistant Jack Fertig while the Trojans were struggling during the second half against Stanford Saturday. “So what? Let’s win it, anyway,” Fertig said. . . .

The Trojans won it, anyway, in overtime despite trailing by eight points with 1:27 left in regulation. . . .

A month ago in Berkeley, they beat California after trailing by five points with 41 seconds left. . . .

This team may not rank in the top 25 in talent, but it is in the top five in heart, poise and desire. . . .

After senior Yamen Sanders fouled out, freshman Lorenzo Orr volunteered to guard Stanford star Adam Keefe. “Coach, let me take him, let me take him,” Orr told Raveling, who obliged. Keefe was held to three points in the final 7:36. . . .

The Trojans are capable of scoring six points in seven seconds and then going scoreless for seven minutes, as they did during the second half. . . .

“The secret to our success is the team’s ability to accept Harold Miner for what he is,” Raveling said about the school’s all-time leading scorer who shot only 33% against Stanford, but scored 33 points. . . .

“There is a dual standard here,” Raveling said. “Offense is a non-equal opportunity employer. Harold can shoot as much as he wants and he’s not going to get yelled at. This kind of dual standard doesn’t work 50% to 60% of the time, but we have special kids.” . . .

Jerry West says Miner reminds him of Dick Barnett, the left-handed, “Fall Back, Baby” sharpshooter who was a Laker crowd favorite at the Sports Arena during the 1962-63 to 1964-65 seasons. . . .

The best guess is that Miner won’t return for his senior year, but that Raveling will return for his seventh season. . . .

“Win, lose or draw, the UCLA game is going to be a gigantic milestone for us,” Raveling said. “Not too long ago, I asked a big-time USC booster if he thought we would ever sell out the Sports Arena. He said no. This will be a great night for L.A. County college basketball. It will help close the gate on kids going way to school.” . . .

This is the first time during Raveling’s tenure that all three of his recruits are from California. . . .

For excitement one night and the next afternoon, it would hard to surpass that provided by the Clippers and Trojans Friday night and Saturday afternoon. . . .

Portland needed club-record three-point shooting to win before what was probably the most animated Clippers crowd since the team moved to L.A. from San Diego in 1984. . . .

The flow of adrenaline brought by Larry Brown’s hiring will slow and the schedule is difficult, but the return of Charles Smith in a week or so will improve their interior defense and the Clippers should make the playoffs for the first time here. . . .

The difference was noticeable as early as the first quarter of Brown’s first game. Fast breaks. Rapid ball movement. Ron Harper driving. Danny Manning playing more in the manner of a small forward than a post-up player. Ken Norman making like John Havlicek off the bench. . . .

With the Clippers’ success on the court and at the box office has come a new problem. Traffic. I have received several complaints from fans who were caught in jams before and after the game Friday. The common beef was that not enough traffic cops were assigned to the area. . . .

And, oh yes, Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” is the best song ever written about our town, but shouldn’t something more original should be played over the public address system when the Clippers are on a roll?. . . .

The Lakers are looking for Flynn Robinson. They want to invite him to the 20th anniversary ceremony honoring the 1971-72 championship team Wednesday night at the Forum. . . .

Little did the UCLA Bruins realize that their defeat at Notre Dame most likely would cost them the No. 1 ranking. . . .

Rory Markas, the Channel 2 sportscaster and Clippers’ public address announcer, will do the play-by-play on 70 Milwaukee Brewers telecasts. . . .

Every four years we are reminded that the Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid was nothing less than that.