Clippers Hit Their Magic Number : Pro basketball: They get 10th victory at expense of Lakers, 83-81, despite another 20-20 night by Divac.

Someone put a gift-wrapped bottle of champagne in the locker stall of Clipper forward Loy Vaught after he got 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers defeated the Lakers, 83-81, Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

Vaught and his teammates deserve the champagne after they won their 10th game of the season to ensure that they won’t go down as the worst team in NBA history.

“We deserved Dom (Perignon) after a win like that,” Vaught said. “I don’t think any of us wanted to be in the history books alongside of the worst record of all time. I don’t like that kind of connotation that it would leave on my career.”

When the Clippers opened the season by losing their first 16 games, many thought they would break the NBA record for losses in a season, set when the Philadelphia 76ers compiled a 9-73 record in 1972-73.

The Lakers had three chances to tie the game in the final 11.6 seconds, but Nick Van Exel missed a jumper with six seconds left. The Lakers got the rebound, but Sedale Threatt and Lloyd Daniels missed hurried shots as time expired.

“I had an open layup, I just slipped,” Van Exel said. “I had new shoes and I just lost traction and I had to pull it out for a tough shot.”

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch thought the Clippers deserved the victory that ended a four-game losing streak.

“We’ve been having fourth-quarter blues and it’s about time we won.”

Vaught agreed.

“We made it exciting,” he said. “We got lucky at the end of the game. They had three good shots and they didn’t convert.”

The Lakers played the fourth quarter without guard Anthony Peeler, who was ejected for arguing with referee Jess Kersey with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

Angry after being called for an offensive foul, Peeler got a technical after disputing the call. He shouted an obscenity at Kersey as he stormed off the court.

“I didn’t agree with his call, and I got quick ejection,” Peeler said. “That’s it. I didn’t say anything derogatory to him, until after I was kicked out.

“To do something like that, it was unprofessional of me, and I let my emotions take over.”

The Lakers, who trailed by 16 points three minutes into the fourth quarter, could have used Peeler, who scored a season-high 27 points in Friday night’s 95-93 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

The Lakers used a 23-11 run to cut the Clippers’ lead to 80-76 on a jumper by Van Exel, who taunted the Clippers by doing a little dance in front of their bench.

“What’s he (Van Exel) doing now?” Clipper forward Malik Sealy said after the Clippers ended the Lakers’ four-game winning streak. “That’s his thing, so I won’t discredit him for it. If he wants to dance, that’s cool, but we get the W.”

Fouled by guard Pooh Richardson on the play, Van Exel missed the free throw, but Elden Campbell got the rebound. However, the Lakers lost possession when Vlade Divac, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the second game in a row, was called for an offensive foul.

With the Lakers trailing by seven, Divac made a three-pointer from the top of the key with 57 seconds left. Richardson missed a desperation jumper as the shot clock was running down, Van Exel made a layup with 29 seconds left for 83-81 and showed off some more of his dance steps.

After Sealy missed a 15-foot jumper with 12 seconds left, the Lakers used their last timeout to set up a play. But for once, the Clippers got lucky.

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Notes

Six games after returning from the injured list because of a sprained right thumb, Laker center Sam Bowie is out again, this time day-to-day because of a separated rib.

* SHAQ SUSPENDED

Shaquille O’Neal of the Orlando Magic was suspended for a game by the NBA for an altercation with Eric Montross of the Boston Celtics on Friday night. C4

* THE NBA

Chris Webber helps the Washington Bullets end a six-game losing streak with a victory over the Sacramento Kings. C4