Clippers Shoot Themselves in Foot Again : Pro basketball: Spencer leaves game with injury, but L.A. blows chances in 105-95 loss at Sacramento.

First, the Clippers lost starting center Elmore Spencer because of a bruised left thigh.

Then they lost their second consecutive game, this time to the Sacramento Kings, 105-95, Wednesday night at Arco Arena.

Spencer, who scored a career-high 19 points in the Clippers’ 122-110 win over the Kings last Saturday at the Sports Arena, left with 7:52 remaining in the second quarter after being kneed by Lionel Simmons in the first quarter.

“Without Elmore we really couldn’t play their post-up people straight up,” Clipper Coach Bob Weiss said. “And when we were double teaming they were taking advantage of it by shooting the ball well outside.”

All-Star guard Mitch Richmond, who sat out the Kings 124-100 loss to Portland on Tuesday night with back spasms, scored 35 points, 23 in the second half, as the Kings (14-32) beat the Clippers (16-29) for the first time in three games this season.

“We just had bad timing on his back spasms,” Weiss said. “He was terrific tonight.”

Clipper forward Danny Manning, who scored only four points in the second half of Tuesday night’s 118-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls, had 23 points against the Kings, but scored only four points in the second half, making two of six shots.

“This is how we’ve been playing of late,” Manning said. “We’re not doing the things to get us over the hump.”

Guard Mark Jackson, who failed to score in the second half against the Bulls, scored only two points in the final three quarters against the Kings, making only one of seven shots.

However guards Ron Harper and Gary Grant kept the Clippers close. Harper scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the second half and Grant, who scored a season-high 22 points, had 18 in the second half.

“There’s no consolation in keeping it close,” Harper said.

The Clippers, who lead the NBA in turnovers, had 18, which the Kings converted into 31 points.

“It’s the same old story,” Weiss said. “We shoot ourselves in the foot more than we get beat.”

The Clippers, who trailed, 86-83, early in the fourth quarter, were outscored, 19-12, in the final 7 1/2 minutes of the game as the Kings ended a three-game losing streak.

Richmond scored 16 points in the third quarter as the Kings outscored the Clippers, 25-19, in the quarter to take an 80-72 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Clippers, who shot only 29.3% in the second half of Tuesday night’s loss to the Bulls, shot 31.8% in the third quarter against the Kings.

Richmond jump started the Kings in the second half, scoring seven points as they opened the third quarter with an 11-3 spurt.

Weiss, whose team had lost three of its last four games, made a lineup change, starting forward John Williams in place of rookie Harold Ellis, who had averaged 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.33 steals in 15 games.

Williams, who was suspended for the first 42 games of the season while he was at a weight-management clinic at Duke, played his third game of the season.

Williams finished with four points, four assists, two steals and a team-high eight rebounds.

Clipper Notes

Assistant coach Dave Wohl screamed at several players in the locker room after the game for having a lax attitude. Wohl scolded the players by saying that they were laughing as if they had won. Wohl declined comment. . . . King guard Mitch Richmond, who made two of three three-point shots, became the all-time franchise leader in three-pointers with 210.