Ewing Hits Shot in the Knick of Time : Clippers: Nine-foot jumper with 0.9 seconds left upstages Manning’s 39-point performance in 103-101 loss before 17,507 at Anaheim Arena.

Homeless because of earthquake damage to the Sports Arena, the Clippers moved Thursday night’s game against the New York Knicks to the Anaheim Arena, and Danny Manning played as if he likes the Anaheim Arena, getting 39 points and 12 rebounds.

But the New York Knicks’ Patrick Ewing upstaged Manning, hitting a fadeaway, nine-foot jumper over Clipper center Elmore Spencer with 0.9 seconds remaining as the Knicks overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Clippers, 103-101, before 17,507 fans.

“He went to his best shot, the turnaround fadeaway,” Spencer said. “I put my hands up and jumped a little bit. But it’s something he’s done 1,000 times and this time I was the victim of it.”

With the score tied at 101-101 after Manning made a running jumper over Ewing with 23.6 seconds remaining, the Knicks called a timeout and ran the clock down before Ewing, who scored 32 points and had 16 rebounds, hit the game-winner.

The Clippers called time to set up a play but Mark Aguirre missed a desperation over-the-shoulder lob from midcourt as time ran out. Coach Bob Weiss glared at Aguirre as they walked off the court because it wasn’t the play that they wanted to run.

Aguirre declined comment, saying: “I’m not the one to talk to.”

After leading 78-67, the Clippers were outscored 16-5 at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth as the Knicks hit three three-point shots cut it to 85-83 on Derek Harper’s three-point shot with 9:42 left.

Former Clipper Charles Smith made a three-point shot with .4 of a second left in the third quarter and Rolando Blackman opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for 81-78 Knick lead.

But Manning kept the Clippers in the game, scoring their first 11 points in the fourth quarter as they took a 92-87 lead.

With the Clippers leading by 89-85, Manning scored five consecutive points, making a fadeaway jumper and a free throw and a jumper.

Ewing answered with four points in a row, sinking a follow shot and tipping in a missed shot by Smith with 5:34 remaining to pull the Knicks to within one at 92-91.

Trailing 94-91 after Clipper guard Ron Harper, who had 18 points, and Manning sank foul shots, the Knicks had a chance to pull to within one, but Spencer blocked a shot by Ewing with 3:38 remaining.

The Clippers’ Mark Jackson missed a shot at the other end but the Knicks’ John Starks fouled Clipper rookie Harold Ellis going for the rebound and Ellis made two free throws with 3:14 left for 96-91.

After Starks hit a three-pointer with 2:57 left, Manning answered with a hook for 98-94.

But Smith hit a jumper with 1:28 remaining and Ewing tipped in a miss by Smith to cut it to 99-98.

The Clippers had a chance to seal it, but Smith blocked a jumper by Ellis with 37.7 seconds remaining. The Knicks called time out to set up a play and Starks made a three-pointer in front of the Clipper bench to give the Knicks a 101-99 lead with 33.9 seconds left.

The Clippers called a timeout to set up a play, but there was little doubt that they’d set up a play for Manning, and he made an eight-foot running jumper in the key over Ewing to tie it with 23.6 seconds left.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers haven’t played at the Sports Arena since Jan. 8. After ending a six-game, 10-day East Coast trip last Thursday, the Clippers were forced to play move last Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Forum while the Sports Arena is being repaired. . . . The Clippers hope to play Saturday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Sports Arena, which is undergoing earthquake-related repairs. “We expect some sort of official notification (today), but we’re very hopefully that we will be back in there Saturday,” Clipper spokesman Joe Safety said.

Former Clipper Charles Smith, who signed with the Knicks last season, thinks he left at the right time. “I got out at the perfect time,” Smith said. “When I told them that I wanted to leave I knew that it was the right thing to do. I weighed the situation. I wouldn’t want to be here.” Is Smith surprised that the Clippers have deteriorated after making the playoffs the last two seasons? “No, I’m not surprised,” Smith said. “I knew it was coming. They knew it was coming.”