Clippers Packing Victories Away : Pro basketball: They prepare for key five-game trip by beating the Bucks, 103-95, to move within half a game of SuperSonics.

The road calls for the last time at length for the Clippers during the regular season.

But first they had to answer at home.

“All playoff teams win home games, and we feel we are a playoff team,” Danny Manning said. “We are supposed to win at home.”

So the Clippers did Saturday night, shooting 54.5% and getting 28 points from Ron Harper and 19 points and 10 rebounds from Manning to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 103-95, and move back within half a game of the Seattle SuperSonics for sixth place in the Western Conference.

Their Sports Arena stopover after a four-game trip lasted only two games: victories over Houston and Milwaukee. But every bit of momentum helps with the big test ahead: a five-game trip, opening with visits to Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago.

If the Clippers manage to at least tread water with those three and then find success at Milwaukee and Minnesota, they will have the exhausting part of the schedule behind them. Four home games, only one set of consecutive games in two days and two road games will remain, but those trips are “locals” to Golden State and the Forum.

Milwaukee lost its 20th in a row on the road, and fourth consecutive overall, but pressed the Clippers to the end. The Bucks trimmed a 15-point deficit to 91-84, with 4:18 remaining, with a 10-2 rally.

The Clippers (39-32) responded with a surge of their own to build the lead back to 96-84, but the visitors still proved bothersome. The Bucks (30-41) stayed in striking distance, down, 98-92, with 1:28 remaining, and then cut that to 100-95 with 32 seconds to go.

That’s where the comeback ended. Dale Ellis’ three-point attempt fell short, and the Bucks had to foul. The Clippers made six in a row from the line down the stretch.

“We don’t know how to make ‘em easy,” Coach Larry Brown said after the Clippers won their fifth in a row and their 12th in 16 games. “But it was a good win.”

Playing the fourth of five games in seven nights, the Bucks came in looking for their first road victory since Jan. 2, the previous night’s effort having ended in a one-point loss at Seattle.

Appearing anything but tired or depressed, they used a 10-0 run in the second quarter to take a 31-26 lead. The Clippers closed to within 33-32, but Milwaukee followed that with a 7-2 surge.

The Bucks shot 66.7% (10 for 15) during the second quarter and were at 52.8% for the first half, good for a 48-42 lead. They had outrebounded the Clippers, 22-14, helping to offset 14 turnovers.

The Clippers got the hot hand and some breathing room near the end of the third quarter. Tied 67-67, they used an 11-2 run to grab a 78-69 cushion heading into the fourth. The Clippershot 70% (14 of 20) in the third quarter.

They pushed the lead to 13 points midway through the fourth quarter, 87-74.

Clipper Notes

Doc Rivers needed another six stitches above his right eye after Thursday’s victory over Houston, making it 16 stitches in five games for three cuts within about three inches of each other. “I should move the bull’s-eye to the other side from now on,” he said. Teammates have taken to calling him Stitch or Frankenstein. Rivers returned against the Rockets, only to be told he had to change his jersey because blood had dripped onto the back.

Mack Calvin, an assistant coach at Milwaukee the previous four seasons before coming to the Clippers, faced his former team for the first time. “It’s really emotional,” he said before the game. “I’ve had kind of a funny feeling all day about playing them because I had been there four years. I want to win, but I can sympathize with what they are going through with all the losing.”

Bo Kimble was not in uniform because of a bruised left thigh. . . . With Houston tumbling, chances that both the Clippers and Lakers could make the playoffs have increased. Players say the city is big enough for both of them. Said Ken Norman: “I hear a lot of things stated that I don’t really like, people saying, ‘You guys are the new team. The Lakers are going to be what you used to be.’ I don’t really want to hear that. I hope there could be two very fine teams.”