Clippers Make It 3 Out of 5 : Pro basketball: One night after 48-point loss at Portland, Sealy sparks 89-82 victory over Golden State at The Pond.

Malik Sealy spent the first two seasons of his NBA career as a forward, but his future might be at guard.

Acquired by the Clippers from the Indiana Pacers along with guard Pooh Richardson and rookie forward Eric Piatkowski for disgruntled guard Mark Jackson in July, Coach Bill Fitch moved Sealy to guard in training camp.

Sealy got his chance to start when Terry Dehere, who opened the season as the Clippers’ starting shooting guard, sprained his right ankle last week against the Milwaukee Bucks.

And it might be difficult to dislodge Sealy, who averaged 27.5 points in his first two starts, from the lineup.

Sealy scored 22 points as the Clippers handed the Golden State Warriors their eighth consecutive loss, 89-82, Thursday night before 17,277 at The Pond of Anaheim.

“I think he’s got a much better chance of being a player in this league playing guard,” Fitch said. “He’s a guard. If he had to play small forward, he would end up being in a lesser role or a guy that’s a mistake, drafted high and didn’t play.”

Sealy said he feels comfortable playing guard.

“You have to make the adjustment if you want to play,” Sealy said. “I’m trying to make the best of it and play as well as I can.”

Fitch said the Clippers were angry after losing by 48 points the night before at Portland.

“Last night’s game was very important,” Fitch said, “because the players were angry after the game and I hoped that they could use that anger tonight.”

And the Clippers took it out on the Warriors, who are still mourning the loss of Chris Webber, traded to the Washington Bullets last month for Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks.

Sealy made four free throws in the final 7.8 seconds as the Clippers, who opened the season with 16 consecutive losses, won for the third time in their last five games.

Forward Loy Vaught had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

With the Clippers leading, 74-70, Richardson, who missed four of his first 13 shots, made two jump shots in a row and set up Sealy for a dunk with a nice pass as the Clippers took an 80-72 lead with 4:10 remaining.

But Latrell Sprewell scored six of his 27 points on two free throws, a dunk and a layup as the Warriors cut it to 81-80 with 1:28 left.

The Clippers called time out to set up a play and Vaught made a 16-foot baseline jumper with 1:16 left. The Clippers had a chance to take a four-point lead after Sprewell missed a drive, but Sealy was called for charging with 39 seconds left.

Sprewell made one of two free throws after he was fouled by Sealy for 83-81 with 34 seconds left.

Richardson missed a wild shot as the 24-second clock was running down, but got his own rebound and fed Sealy, who made two free throws after he was fouled by David Wood with 7.8 seconds left.

After Chris Gatling made a free throw with 5.2 seconds to play, Sealy made two more free throws with 3.6 seconds left. Matt Fish added two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining.

The slumping Warriors, who have lost 12 of their last 13 games, were without Coach Don Nelson, who was hospitalized Wednesday night for viral pneumonia and might be sidelined for a week. Nelson’s son Donn served as interim coach.

“Until you’re in something, you don’t know how you’re going to respond,” Nelson said. “I feel confident. I feel I should know this team better than anybody because of the amount of time I’ve been around them. I think I know what we do well and what we need to stay away from.

“I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have a certain degree of anxiety. I do. But when the ball goes up it’s all pure basketball.”

Golden State played the second half without guard Tim Hardaway, who bruised his right knee when he fell on a first-quarter drive. Hardaway played the second quarter, but left after missing nine of 10 shots in the first half.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers were without Tony Massenburg, who sprained his left foot in Wednesday night’s loss at Portland. “I did it in the first half when I went to block a shot,” Massenburg said. “It was sore, but I kept playing because it wasn’t hurting that bad. This morning it was real bad.” . . . Guard Gary Grant, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, said he hopes to return for next Friday’s game against the Washington Bullets at the Sports Arena. . . . Golden State missed all 12 of its three-point shots.