At Least Clippers Get Close to the Next Step

They had ‘em.

I mean, had ‘em.

Clippers 4, Utah 2.

Then 6-2.

Then 8-2.

Then 10-2.

Then 12-2.

Then 14-2!

Had ‘em.

Clippers 42, Utah 40.

Then 44-40.

Then 46-40.

Then 48-40.

Then 50-40.

Then 52-40!

Had ‘em.

Halftime: Karl Malone, one basket. Mark Eaton, no baskets. John Stockton, three fouls, one basket, no assists. None. Zero. Repeat: John Stockton, no assists.

Halftime: Clippers six steals, Utah one. Clippers five blocked shots, Utah three. Clippers four turnovers, Utah 11. Clippers 16 assists, Utah six.

Halftime: Danny Manning 18 points; Mailman Malone plus Eaton plus Stockton plus Blue Edwards plus Mike Brown plus David Benoit, 17 points.

Had ‘em.

It was one of those dream games, one of those enchanted nights when everything goes right for your side and everything goes wrong for theirs.

It was the first wish the Clippers would have made had they rubbed a magic lamp and been granted three.

It was the game they would have programmed into their computer in answer to the question: How would you like Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs to go?

Answer: Make Karl Malone have an off-night, make Stockton have foul trouble, make the Jazz dig into its bench and put Benoit out there for 33 minutes and even use Delaney Rudd, whoever Delaney Rudd is.

It all happened, every bit of it.

It was all there, a trip to NBA Neverland, a trip to Round 2 of the playoffs, with a decentchance of defeating Seattle and advancing to Round 3 of the playoffs, and maybe . . . yes, maybe . . .

Oh, the places they could have gone.

So how did it all get away from those lovable lugs the Clippers, who went out Monday night and played their red-jerseyed hearts out?

How did Utah win a game by nine points that the Clippers dominated from tipoff to finish?

“It was just fantastic what they were able to do,” Coach Larry Brown said.

“They made shots down the stretch,” Manning said.

“We had the game in our hands,” said Charles Smith, “but we just couldn’t lock it up.”

Had ‘em.

The L.A. Clippers let the big one get away, but they played one great game of basketball here at the Delta Center--a game to remember, a game to build on.

“We’re a team to reckon with in the future,” Smith said.

That they are.

They got a taste of it. They know how how close they are to taking that big next step.

“We’re already ready to get ready for next year,” Manning said.

Next year.

It could still be this year for the Clippers. That’s the bad news, but if you give it some thought, that’s the good news, too.

“Those guys in the future,” Utah’s Tyrone Corbin said, “are going to have a lot of players on the All-Star team.”

And maybe a few in the second round of the NBA playoffs, too.

“I would like to say this about the Clippers,” said Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan. “I don’t think any of you realized how good a team they were when we first started this series. We knew it was going to be a very difficult series when we started this. We got lucky in the first game that things went right right off the bat, and we were fortunate to come back and win the second game.

“I think everyone looked at their record and what the Clippers have been in the past. You are looking at one of the best teams in basketball the next couple or three years.”

One of the best teams in basketball.

That’s right.

The NBA doesn’t have the Clippers to kick around any more.