Clippers Salvage Victory Against Bucks : Pro basketball: They regroup with 18-4 run to beat Milwaukee, 116-105.

The amazing thing about the Clippers is their ability to rebound so well. Not necessarily on the boards, though they did have great success there Wednesday night, but in perception.

A night after losing to the last-place Sacramento Kings, the Clippers got the last-place Milwaukee Bucks on the schedule and almost blew it again. Almost.

But they used a late 18-4 run to pull away and win, 116-105, at the Sports Arena. Danny Manning had 27 points, Mark Jackson had 15 points and 14 assists, and Ron Harper added several key baskets in the fourth quarter en route to 17 points.

How elastic are the Clippers?

In the midst of a disappointing stretch, they pulled within a game of the Lakers for seventh place in the Western Conference playoff standings.

“We didn’t play the best game, but we kind of hung around,” said Harper, who scored seven of his points in the fourth-quarter rally. “We felt going into the fourth quarter only down by two we were in very good shape.

“Anytime you get this late in the year and had the problems this team has had, you tend to allow your minds to get away from the game of basketball. It is very tough for guys these days. When four or five of the guys don’t know if they will be here next year (because of impending free agency), it’s not always there. If we knew we’d be here, sure, this team would definitely play well.”

The Clippers played well enough to beat Milwaukee, using their 49-25 rebounding advantage. The 25 was the fewest the Clippers have given up this season and the fewest for the Bucks.

Because of recent struggles--especially a loss the night before at Sacramento--this game seemed as if it was something of a no-win proposition for the Clippers. Beat the Bucks and people will say you’re supposed to. Lose and the same people will start looking for the lifeboats to pull up outside the Sports Arena.

The importance to the Clippers, however, could not be minimized. More than a victory, they were looking for an attitude, a stride, heading into their second game in a row against a last-place team. That and everyone giving a full effort.

“I can’t get into that,” Ken Norman, one of the four Clipper team captains, said when asked if some players aren’t giving their all. “I hope everyone is out there giving 100% every night. No matter what, you owe it to yourself from a pride standpoint to give it your all. And I’d say for the most part everyone is.”

For the most part?

“If someone is not giving 110%, they know who they are and they shouldn’t be able to sleep at night,” Norman said. “It’s not a secret. People in here know who’s not giving their all.”

Clipper Notes

Center Moses Malone, out since training camp after a herniated disk in his back prompted surgery, is traveling with the Bucks on this trip for the first time this season and is expected to be activated today. His future in Milwaukee, however, is limited at best. Playing time will be tough to come by the final 16 games behind Frank Brickowski, back Wednesday after missing the previous three games because of a cervical strain, and Brad Lohaus, who has been playing all three front-court positions. Plus, the Bucks have already told Malone they will not exercise his option on next season, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. . . . The Clippers’ unrestricted-free-agent in waiting, Ken Norman, has told the club he no longer wants to negotiate during the season, the better to concentrate on playing. But that is not an indication, he said, that the talks have been a distraction.