Clippers Get Victory, Make Playoffs Again

Clipper Coach Larry Brown should send Golden State Coach Don Nelson a thank-you card for helping the Clippers clinch their second consecutive playoff berth with a 122-115 victory over the Warriors Friday night before 13,632 at the Sports Arena.

With the Warriors leading by 11 points in the third quarter, Nelson benched guard Tim Hardaway, who had scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter. Hardaway, who was returning after missing four games because of a bruised right knee, made four of five shots in the third quarter before he left the game with 2:01 to play.

Hardaway didn’t return, and forwards Danny Manning and Loy Vaught helped the Clippers take control of the game. Vaught came off the bench to score 11 points and grab five rebounds in the final period as the Clippers won their eighth consecutive home game.

“We didn’t want to play (Hardaway) more than 24 minutes,” Nelson said. “I would have loved to play him in the fourth quarter because we probably could have won. It’s just not the time to push him. Tim’s amazing. He only had one day of practice.”

Nelson didn’t have any motivation to put Hardaway back into the game because the injury-plagued Warriors seemingly would rather qualify for the lottery than the playoffs.

Hardaway didn’t complain.

“They want to bring me back slowly,” Hardaway said. “The knee stiffened up a little. I felt I played enough minutes.”

Hardaway made 10 of 15 shots, including two three-pointers, and had seven assists in 25 minutes, despite sitting on the bench in for the last 14 minutes.

Manning, who had 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, scored nine of the Clippers’ final 15 points.

With the score tied, 113-113, after Vaught was called for goaltending on Latrell Sprewell’s jumper with 56 seconds to play, Manning made a 10-foot hook shot with 39.8 seconds left to give the Clippers a 115-113 lead.

The Warriors called a timeout to set up a play, but reserve forward Jud Buechler missed a three-point shot from the right corner and center Victor Alexander fouled Manning as they battled for the rebound.

Manning made two free throws with 33 seconds to play to give the Clippers a 117-113 lead. Mark Jackson then made two free throws with 25 seconds left. Manning’s free throw with 11.9 seconds to play gave the Clippers a 120-113 lead.

Although the Clippers (39-39), who have four regular-season games left, are assured of a playoff berth, they are still battling the Lakers for the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Clippers’ magic number for clinching the seventh spot is two. Any combination of two Clipper victories or two Laker losses will give the Clippers the seventh spot. If the Clippers finish seventh, they will open the playoffs against the Houston Rockets. If they finish eighth, they will open against the Phoenix Suns, who have the best record in the NBA.

“We still have four games left, and the Lakers are right behind us,” Brown said. “I think it means something finishing seventh, and that’s something we’ll shoot for.”

Early on, the Clippers looked more like a team trying to qualify for the NBA draft lottery instead of a playoff berth as the Warriors outscored them, 22-9, to take an 11-point lead.

But the Warriors collapsed after Hardaway went to the bench late in the third quarter. With Hardaway out, the Clippers blitzed the Warriors, 17-6, to tie the score, 97-97. Vaught gave the Clippers a lift, scoring five points, grabbing three rebounds and making two steals in the span of 3:41 in the fourth quarter.

“When the game was on the line, the bench came in and ignited everyone,” Vaught said. “It was contagious and it gave us momentum.”

Clipper Notes

Tickets for the Clippers’ first-round playoff games go on sale today at 10 a.m. at the Sports Arena box office and at Ticketmaster outlets at Music Plus, Tower Records and Robinson-May stores. The Clippers’ first home playoff game will be May 3, 4 or 5 at the Sports Arena. Game 2 will be played May 6 or 7. . . . The Warriors, who had only nine players because of injuries, were forced to start rookie forward Andre Spencer, a former Manual Arts High star who spent four years in the Continental Basketball Assn. and three years in Europe after graduating from Northern Arizona.