Clippers Pull Away in Overtime

Everyone saw this coming, right? The Clippers beating the Detroit Pistons, 115-106, in overtime Tuesday night at the Sports Arena as:

--The forward who opened one for 11 from the field led the offensive charge.

--The 6-foot-3 guard won a crucial jump ball against a 7-foot center who would finish with a career-high 19 rebounds.

--The center who was forced out of another game because of foul problems and played only 15 minutes heading into overtime provided a defensive spark.

But that was, indeed, Danny Manning making nine of his last 14 shots, Mark Jackson controlling a critical tip against Olden Polynice, and Stanley Roberts making a significant contribution. And that was Piston Coach Ron Rothstein, already pained by a leg injury to Isiah Thomas, shaking his head at what had transpired.

More pain came when one of the smallest Clippers, Jackson, lined up against Polynice for a jump ball, New York City product against New York City product. It came on the Pistons’ first possession of overtime, when they trailed, 105-103, after Ken Norman opened the five-minute extra period with a lay-in.

The Clippers controlled the tip and ran off eight unanswered points, four by Manning and another he set up by zipping a pass inside for Ron Harper’s layup. That’s the last Detroit, which missed its first seven shots of overtime and finished it one for eight, saw of the game.

“That was a monstrous play,” Rothstein said. “It never should have happened.”

Jackson, who finished with 17 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds while committing only one turnover, said of the jump ball: “Olden is from the neighborhood. So I leaned in with my body a little bit and went for it. Why would I even try with such a big height difference? If you don’t try, you won’t get anything. If you do, you are going to shock a lot of people.”

Roberts’ contributions were startling because he had only played one minute the entire second half of regulation, when he was forced out by fouls No. 3 and 4 within four seconds. In overtime, he blocked a shot by Polynice that the Clippers turned into another basket and also grabbed three rebounds.

The field goal off Roberts’ block was, of course, a layup. Nearly everything was for the Clippers in overtime. Apart from two free throws by Harper with 40 seconds left and the game all but decided, the farthest they had to go for any of the 12 points in the extra period was the 10-foot jumper by Jackson.

Manning finished with 21 points and eight rebounds after the terrible start. Harper also had 21 points. Loy Vaught added 18 points and seven rebounds.

The Pistons can’t take a final toll until they know the results of the X-rays taken on Thomas’ leg late Tuesday night. He was inadvertently kneed by Harper midway through the third quarter.

“It doesn’t look good,” Rothstein said. “He’s limping bad. But Isiah is a quick healer, so we’ll see.”

Clipper Notes

If there is a competition for the league’s best bargain, the line forms behind the Clippers getting Kiki Vandeweghe as a free agent for the minimum of $140,000. The early payoff? Vandeweghe had scored 92 points in 121 minutes heading into Tuesday’s game while shooting 56.6%. “Nobody could have thought he would play this well,” Coach Larry Brown said, adding: “He’s done more than score. He has defended really well. That’s what I’m most proud of. People have always been critical of him in that area, but I think he’s done a great job. Realistically, I don’t think he’ll be a point-a-minute guy all year, but the thing I’m most happy about is that he has shown people in this league he still is productive.”

David Falk, the agent for Ken Norman, is expected in Los Angeles on Friday in what the Clipper forward hopes will be resumption of talks on a new contract. Norman will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, making him the Clippers’ top contract priority. . . . The Pistons played without Dennis Rodman, who remained in Detroit with tendinitis in his right knee. There is speculation that the rebounding and defensive specialist might be traded, perhaps as soon as today.