No Surprises as Clippers Lose in Denver : Basketball: Nuggets’ 113-104 victory moves them to within a half-game of Sacramento and a playoff berth.

The Denver Nuggets refused to let the Clippers stand in the way of their drive to the playoffs, even though it took almost four quarters to prove their resolve.

Reggie Williams scored 21 points and Dale Ellis and Jalen Rose had 16 each, leading the Nuggets to a 113-104 victory Monday night over the NBA’s worst team.

“You try not to look at who is across the floor, but that’s tough,” said Nugget Coach Bernie Bickerstaff. “I take my hat off to (Clipper Coach) Bill Fitch. He’s really getting them to put out the effort. They never surrender.

“Fortunately, we had some guys ready to bail us out. Our guys off the bench were ready to play. We were able to run a little better in the second half, and the little fella (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) got hot.”

Denver, drawing within a half-game of Sacramento for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, outscored the Clippers, 27-11, during a nine-minute span bridging the third and fourth quarters to open its biggest lead, 101-81.

Ellis, Bryant Stith and Abdul-Rauf scored all 27 of the Nuggets’ points during that flurry, with Ellis getting 11 and Stith and Abdul-Rauf eight each.

The Clippers, losing their seventh in a row and 16th consecutive game on the road, were led by Lamond Murray and Eric Piatkowski with 18 points apiece.

“After last night’s win (a rare Denver victory at Portland), we needed this one,” Williams said. “We talked about defense at the half and came out on them. When we distribute the ball, we’re pretty effective.”

Fitch said the Nuggets “shot the ball better the second half and our defense let up. They did a nice job of forcing some turnovers at the start of the third quarter. I felt we lost our continuity in the second half.”

The Nuggets are 12-7 under Bickerstaff, their third coach of the season. Under Dan Issel and Gene Littles, the Nuggets were 21-29.

Despite shooting 59% in the first half, the Clippers trailed, 60-55, at intermission. Denver made 21 of 23 free throws in the half compared to the Clippers’ 14 of 20.

Pooh Richardson’s 18-footer and three free throws by Murray to open the third quarter produced a 60-60 tie, but back-to-back layups by Williams made it 64-60, and Ellis’ three-point shot put Denver up, 77-70, with 3:56 left in the quarter.

Ellis’ 20-foot jumper, Stith’s layup and another three-point shot by Ellis gave Denver an 84-73 lead entering the final period.

Denver completed its breakaway by scoring 10 consecutive fourth-quarter points.

Abdul-Rauf and Dikembe Mutombo each scored 14 points for Denver, and Stith had 13.

Loy Vaught and Eric Riley had 14 each for the Clippers, who have the NBA’s worst record (14-57) and who are 3-32 on the road.