Clippers Go on Late Run, Beat Cavaliers, 115-106

The Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling. They are getting beat and beat up, going long stretches without Mark Price and Brad Daugherty. They are slipping in the Central Division when they are supposed to be challenging in the Eastern Conference.

So they didn’t need to play the Clippers, a team surging after a slow start of its own. And, most of all, they didn’t need to see the Clippers at their best during the fourth quarter, kicking the transition game into high gear for a 115-106 victory at Richfield Coliseum on Tuesday night.

The Clippers got their three-game trip off to a running start with a 14-2 sprint over 3:27 of the final quarter that gave them a 99-91 lead with five minutes to play. That was it for the Cavaliers, who shot 53.7% on the night and still couldn’t stay with the Clippers the last 8 1/2 minutes.

But not many teams have of late. The Clippers have won four in a row and 10 of 13 to improve to 10-6 after an 0-3 start. They went 15 of 23 from the field during the fourth quarter (65.2%) to score at least 115 points for the fifth time in six games.

“You have to just think ‘execute,’ ” said Mark Jackson, who got his seventh career triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

“Execute and work hard. That’s what it takes to win, especially on the road.”

The Clippers trailed, 89-85, when they started their run. Danny Manning tipped in an errant shot by Ron Harper for two of his team-high 28 points and followed that by rebounding Larry Nance’s miss and giving a long outlet pass to Harper that became a layup. After Jackson got a driving layup, Harper grabbed the rebound of a jumper by Cleveland’s Gerald Wilkins, drove the length of the court and passed to John Williams for another layup.

The Clippers were ahead by 93-89 and not slowing down. Manning had another tip. Jackson made a 20-footer from the left side. The Cavaliers finally scored to end a 12-0 run, but their next possession ended when Manning rebounded Mike Sanders’ miss and passed to start a two-on-one break that became Ken Norman’s dunk.

Fourteen points. One perimeter shot--Jackson’s--and six other baskets that were no farther out than an outstretched hand.

“It all starts with defense,” said Norman, who continued his recent offensive surge with 22 points on nine-of-11 shooting. “We forced them into some shots, got the rebound and got running.

“They shot a lot of long jumpers, and we got long rebounds to start the break. We’re a better transition team than they are, but the key for us is playing good defense and rebounding.”

The Cavaliers are trying to discover exactly what kind of team they are. They are 8-9 with a trip to Chicago tonight.

“It’s nothing to panic about, I don’t think,” guard Craig Ehlo said. “We just need a streak of three or four games where we win. That would help a lot.”

So would not being so hot and cold. During their previous game, the Cavaliers faced a Portland team playing its fourth game in five nights. The Trail Blazers, who were without injured Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey, took a 16-point lead during the second quarter. Cleveland came back to lead by five points in the fourth quarter, then lost.

“It’s called learning,” Ehlo said. “Learning how to deal with these things.”

Clipper Notes

The Clippers and Detroit Pistons have discussed a trade that would send disgruntled rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman to Los Angeles as the highlight of a package that has Loy Vaught and Gary Grant going to Michigan. It would take some finessing of the salary cap to get it done, but the teams are believed to have been talking for a while. This makes the Pistons one of many teams seeking Vaught, valued because he is only 22 and has great potential as a rebounder who can also score some. Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor declined comment.

Kiki Vandeweghe sat out his third game in a row because of a sprained ankle after suffering a setback during the Clippers’ 90-minute practice Monday. His status remains day to day. . . . Mark Price sat out his second consecutive game because of a hip pointer, meaning he and Brad Daugherty have been in the lineup together only six times.