Tolbert Makes Presence Felt : Pro basketball: Forward limits rookie Mashburn to three-of-17 shooting in 88-84 Clipper victory.

Clipper forward Tom Tolbert is probably better known for his trendy haircuts and his off-the-wall personality than for his defense, but Tolbert’s defense against rookie forward Jamal Mashburn in an 88-84 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night before 8,362 at the Sports Arena got him as much attention as some of his wilder coiffures.

Mashburn, the leading rookie scorer in the NBA with a team-high average of 21.3 points, scored only seven points, missing 14 of 17 shots.

“It was more him than me,” Tolbert said. “I think that he saw that he had me on him and he wanted to drive to the hoop. He wouldn’t settle for the outside shot. He got off to a rocky start, and I was just making him take tough shots.

“He just struggled. I wouldn’t say I did a great job on him. I think he was just off tonight.”

Making his first start for the Clippers, Tolbert, who started 61 games for the Orlando Magic last season, harassed Mashburn, who shot 45.4% in his first six games. Mashburn missed 10 of 11 shots in the first half, including one that was blocked by Tolbert. Tolbert stripped the ball from Mashburn on another possession.

“I think he might have gotten defensive player of the year out of that one,” Coach Bob Weiss said of Tolbert. “I asked him at halftime, ‘You’re not that good, are you?’

“But Jamal’s a real talented player. I think he has a chance to be rookie of the year. He had an off night tonight, but we helped him.”

Said Clipper swingman Ron Harper, who scored a team-high 28 points: “Tom came in and banged and played really solid defense,” Harper said.

The Clippers turned what should have been a routine victory into a close game when Stanley Roberts was ejected in the fourth quarter.

“Well, we didn’t want to make it look too easy,” Weiss said. “All I can say is that (Roberts) can’t let it affect him. He’s got to maintain his composure. Because he thinks the guy made a mistake, he can’t punish us further.”

With the Clippers leading, 82-79, Roberts was ejected with 3:37 to play after he bounced the ball on the floor in disgust and cursed at referee Joe Borgia because he thought Borgia missed a foul. Guard Derek Harper made one of two technical foul shots to cut the Clipper lead to 82-80.

“I just got kicked out, what can I say?” Roberts said. “I got knocked in the face and there wasn’t no call, so I just bounced the ball on the floor kind of hard and he called a technical. I had no control over it. It just came out.”

After Harper made a jumper with 2:23 remaining to give the Clippers an 84-80 lead, Maverick center Darren Morningstar made a three-foot jumper with 2:01 remaining to make the score 84-82.

The Mavericks had a chance to tie, but Mashburn fumbled the ball out of bounds with 1:19 to play. However, Harper missed a jumper from the free-throw line with 49 seconds remaining to give Dallas another chance.

But guard Gary Grant blocked a jumper by Lucious Harris with 25 seconds left and Clipper forward Loy Vaught, who had 19 points and a team-high nine rebounds, controlled the rebound. Grant made two free throws with 19.8 seconds remaining to give the Clippers a four-point lead.

After Mashburn made a jumper with 13.1 seconds left, Harper made two free throws for the final margin with 6.5 seconds remaining.

Clipper Notes

A Clipper source said Executive Vice President Andy Roeser has threatened to trade guard Ron Harper, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, if the Clippers can’t sign him. “We’ll do whatever we can to sign him,” Roeser said. “And failing that, you do whatever you have to do. But I think it’s going to all work out.” Harper has said that he won’t talk to the Clippers until after the season ends. The Clippers have reportedly offered Harper a five-year, $20-million deal, but the two sides are far apart. . . . Harper, who wore a new pair of shoes when he scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s 116-114 double-overtime loss to the Lakers, wore another new pair Thursday night and said he plans to keep wearing new shoes if he keeps playing well. . . . Forward Loy Vaught, the only Clipper starter not on the All-Star ballot, said he doesn’t feel slighted. “I don’t play for recognition,” Vaught said. “It’s not a factor.” . . . Forward Henry James, activated Monday from the injured list, played for the first time when he was inserted into the game in the second quarter.