Rockets Make the Clippers’ Future Look Dim, 114-101

A review of the possible preview:

The Houston Rockets got 42 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, five steals and four blocked shots from Hakeem Olajuwon to dominate the Clippers, 114-101, Tuesday night at the Summit and sweep the season series for the first time since 1979-80.

“We’re 0-4 against this team,” Clipper Coach Larry Brown said. “If this was a playoff preview, I think we’d be in big trouble.”

It was, and they are.

This was a preview of the first round of the playoffs, that is, if the Rockets’ three-game lead over San Antonio holds and the Clippers stay ahead of the Lakers.

In the four losses to the Rockets, the Clippers scored 83 points in two of them, their season low, and were outscored an by average of 103.5-92.5. They were outshot, 49.2%-46.5%. Olajuwon averaged 26.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.25 blocks.

The Rockets, whose 47-25 record equals the best in franchise history after 72 games, were asked if, given their success, they would prefer to face the Clippers in the best-of-five series.

“I guess,” Otis Thorpe said. “If you want to say that because we haven’t lost to them. That’s one of the teams we pretty much have our confidence up on.”

“I would love to,” said Vernon Maxwell, who scored 21 points Tuesday night. “We know we can go out and play well there (Los Angeles) and here, and that is definitely a plus for us.”

Added Olajuwon: “It would be nice because we know we can beat them. We still have to do it, though.”

But Olajuwon was also the one who said of his 42-point, 13-rebound effort, “I took the night off.”

The Clippers took enough of the second quarter off to turn the game into a rout by halftime, going scoreless for 4:04. The Rockets turned that into a 15-0 run and a 64-45 lead that was never challenged.

“They’re playing as well as any team in the league,” Brown said of the Rockets.

“And when they play a team that doesn’t rebound great, doesn’t cover great and doesn’t get back great, this is what happens.”

The Clippers can only hope it isn’t what will happen.

Clipper Notes

Coach Larry Brown said that he was feeling good again after being forced to skip Sunday’s game at the Sports Arena because of a pinched nerve in his neck and subsequent nausea from the medication. Brown’s late scratch against Dallas--he watched the game from the locker room--made assistant Coach R.C. Buford an emergency substitution for the third time this season, all in what turned out to be close games.

The first two times, he took over during the second quarter after Brown was ejected from eventual losses. That was quite a turnaround for Buford, who went the previous four years without stepping in once and hadn’t coached a full game, discounting summer league, since the Kansas junior varsity team in 1987.

“It’s somebody’s elses decision to evaluate whether I did good or not,” said Buford, who was quick to give credit to fellow assistant John Hammond for help in the three games. “That’s up to Larry and Elgin (Baylor) and Mr. (Donald) Sterling. In those situations, I just try to be an extension of Larry. I’m not doing anything on my own.” So did he do good? “He did good,” Brown said, smiling. “He won.”

The Clippers flew to Houston Monday and Brown gave serious consideration to continuing on to New Orleans to watch his alma mater, North Carolina, play Michigan for the NCAA title. But he decided against it because the Clippers practiced and, because Brown wasn’t there for the 1982 championship, he didn’t want to jinx the Tar Heels and mentor and good friend Dean Smith.

Brown, who played for Smith and later was his assistant coach, didn’t have any friendly wagers with the Clippers’ two Michigan products, Loy Vaught and Gary Grant.

“One thing, I knew Loy would not bet because that would involve money, and he’s too cheap,” Brown said. “For another thing, I was just hoping Carolina would win. I don’t like to root against anybody in those situations, so I didn’t want to bet on it.”