Clipper Defense Continues Slide : Pro basketball: The SuperSonics shoot 53.1% and score a 121-101 victory. Harper is sidelined because of flu.

The Clipper defense, touted as recently as a week ago as the reason for the team’s improvement, got kicked around again Saturday night.

This time, the boot belonged to the Seattle SuperSonics, who followed the 52.9% from the field shot by Golden State and the 55.7% shot by Minnesota to shoot 53.1% and cruise to a 121-101 victory before 10,833 at Seattle Center Coliseum on a night the Clippers played without flu-ridden Ron Harper.

“The worst,” Coach Larry Brown said. “We didn’t even compete.”

Brown, his team having lost three of four to drop to 13-10, wasn’t overly concerned of the showing against the Timberwolves, noting that Minnesota made a lot of tough shots. But his generosity ends there, with his patience not far behind.

“If we get one of the two Golden State games, people will say we’re all right,” Brown said. “But I don’t think we’re playing well. I don’t think we’re making a lot of progress. Some people are--Gary (Grant) is doing a lot, Snake (Ken Norman). But we’re not stepping up as a team.

“Two minutes into the game, I told them I didn’t think we were giving ourselves a chance. We made some runs and got back in it, but I don’t think we laid it on the line tonight.”

So the Clippers were flat?

“No,” Brown said. “I think we’re going backward.”

The slide started at tipoff. The SuperSonics--who improved to 10-0 at the Coliseum, along with a “home” victory in Japan and a 1-1 mark in games nearby at the Kingdome--needed only seven minutes to open a double-digit lead. The Clippers pulled to within 38-37 during the second quarter, only to fall behind by 63-53 at halftime. Seattle was shooting 57.1%.

The SuperSonics made their final move at 76-72, turning that into a 91-77 lead 5:07 later at the end of the third quarter. The Clippers got no closer than 14 during the fourth quarter and fell behind by 21 on two occasions. All that remained was the closing moments in their 17th consecutive road loss to Seattle, a streak that dates to Dec. 28, 1985.

“Some teams are talented enough to pretty much pick their spots,” said Mark Jackson, who had his worst game as a Clipper with 16 points on seven-of-16 shooting, two assists and five turnovers.

“We’re not one of those teams. We have to bust our tails every night to give ourselves a chance to win, and we’re not doing it.”

The SuperSonics noticed.

“We felt they were flat,” said Nate McMillan, who had 14 assists against only one turnover, and seven rebounds off the bench.

“We felt like we had a deep bench and could push them and wear them down. It made it easier with Ron out. Whenever you’re lacking a big-time scorer like him, you get to the bench a lot quicker.”

The Clippers thought the worst was behind them when they escaped Friday night with a close home victory over Minnesota. But then Harper, en route from the Sports Arena to the airport, stopped at a fast-food place. By Saturday morning, he he had flu.

The Clippers’ second-leading scorer did not suit up, moving Gary Grant into the starting lineup for the second time. The last time it happened, Nov. 28 at Denver when Harper had a sore knee, Grant responded with 12 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. This time, he had nine points and seven assists by halftime and finished with 15 and 10, respectively.

That, and the 16 points by Jackson, had to pass for the Clipper offense.

Clipper Notes

Ron Harper, one of six prominent Clippers who could become free agents at the end of the season, said he does not want to open negotiations on a new contract until the team decides whether to pick up his $4-million option for 1993-94.

Seattle’s Shawn Kemp left the game with 4:40 remaining after suffering a sprained right knee. Kemp had 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.