Without Rodman, Spurs Keep Rolling : Basketball: San Antonio extends its winning streak to 12 games with a 113-89 victory over Clippers.

Who needs Dennis Rodman?

With Rodman, the NBA’s leading rebounder, sidelined because of a shoulder injury, the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 12 games, defeating the Clippers, 113-89, Tuesday night before an announced 10,856 at the Sports Arena.

“We have other good players on our team,” Coach Bob Hill said after the Spurs (53-18) moved a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic (53-19) for the NBA’s best record. “This team’s on a mission. This team has great chemistry right now.

“Seventeen rebounds a game (Rodman’s average) is something that can be overcome if everybody embraces that. That’s effort and hustle and toughness. If we had to replace (center David Robinson), I think we’d be in trouble.”

Point guard Avery Johnson said forwards J.R. Reid and Terry Cummings have helped pick up the slack for Rodman.

“It’s a testimonial to J.R. and T.C.,” Johnson said. “We had a nine-man team when he was here and now we have an eight-man rotation. It just requires more guys to play more minutes and everybody to rebound.”

The Spurs are 9-0 since Rodman separated his right shoulder in a motorcycle accident on March 20. He’s expected to miss at least two more games before returning, possibly, against the Lakers on Sunday night at the Forum.

However, Rodman seems uncertain.

“It’s still sore,” he told a San Antonio reporter before the game. “I don’t like injuries. I just don’t feel like part of the team. It’s their team now.

“I won’t feel like part of it again until I’m on the court playing.”

Trailing by four points at halftime, the Spurs outscored the Clippers, 66-35, in the second half and led by as many as 27 points.

“I hate it when we play like this,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said after watching his team lose for the ninth time in its last 10 games.

“In the second half, we didn’t play as well together and we lacked some of the intensity,” said Clipper forward Eric Piatkowski.

Robinson, who had 71 points in the season-finale against the Clippers last season, had 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in the first half. He finished with 27 points, 18 rebounds and the three spectacular blocks.

“We weren’t there in the first half,” Hill said. “If it wasn’t for David, we would have been down 12 or 15. But we turned up our defense and our effort in the second half was terrific.”

Robinson agreed.

“When I have to score a lot of points, we’re not doing our job,” Robinson said. “A lot of times we end of standing around watching me play, and that’s just not the way we want to play. We’re a better basketball team when we’re playing together.

“Tonight we were flat, and there’s no excuse for that.”

Piatkowski, making his second consecutive start at shooting guard, made five of eight shots in the first half and scored 11 points as the Clippers took a 54-50 halftime lead. He finished with 17 points.

“It’s just nice that (Fitch) is showing confidence in me,” Piatkowski said. “I’ve played a lot more (shooting guard) than (small forward) in the last half of the season and that’s where I think I’m eventually going to be playing.”