Clippers Produce No Gem Against Nuggets : Pro basketball: Denver stays in playoff chase with 125-103 rout and Clippers stay close to dreaded bottom.

The Clippers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs long ago, but they’re still in a race that could go down to the wire.

The Clippers (16-61) are battling the Washington Bullets (18-59), losers of 13 consecutive games, to avoid finishing with the league’s worst record.

The Clippers had a chance to gain ground on the Bullets, but they lost to the injury-depleted Denver Nuggets, 125-103 Thursday night before an announced crowd of 9,481 at the Sports Arena. Washington lost to New York.

“We’ve already won more games than Dominique (Wilkins) thought we would,” Clipper guard Malik Sealy said, recalling Wilkins’ early-season prediction that the Clippers would break the NBA record for most losses in a season set when the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers finished 9-73.

The Clippers, who’ve lost 11 of 13 games, may have a difficult time overtaking the Bullets because they play four of their final five games on the road, where they’ve lost 33 of 37 games.

“Want to know something? We’re not worried about it,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “I think when you get into a situation that these guys are in, the only thing they’re worried about is the next game.”

However, forward Lamond Murray said the Clippers have exceeded expectations.

“I think we’re finishing ahead of the game, period,” Murray said. “We’ve won a lot more games than people expected us to win. That’s an accomplishment in its own.”

Former Clipper forward Reggie Williams made 12 of 17 shots, including four three-pointers, and scored a season-high 31 points, including 20 in the first half, as the Nuggets (37-39) tied the idle Sacramento Kings (37-39) for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

Williams said he has no animosity toward the Clippers, who gave up on him after two plus seasons.

“I’m 31 years old,” Williams said. “The animosity is gone. I just want to play well against everyone. There’s no personal feeling.”

The Nuggets made their first 11 shots in the third quarter and outscored the Clippers, 23-10, in the first 6:39 of the quarter to take control. Williams made his first four shots and scored nine points in the quarter as the Nuggets, who led by as many as 25 points, shot 72.7% (16 of 22).

Brian Williams had 23 points as a reserve, including 18 in 12 minutes of the first half after center Dikembe Mutombo got into foul trouble.

Mutombo had 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the Nuggets’ leading scorer, missed the game because of a bruised right leg.

Clipper Notes

Forward Loy Vaught, the Clippers’ leading scorer and rebounder, returned after missing two games with a hyper-extended right elbow. Vaught had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes as a reserve. . . . Clipper guard Gary Grant, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, said he hasn’t received any indication from the Clippers on whether he’ll be re-signed. “I don’t think my agent has talked to them,” Grant said. “Right now I couldn’t tell you (whether he’ll return to the Clippers). When the season is over, we’ll sit down and talk to them. I’ve always stated that I want to be there, so it’s just a matter of what they want to do.” Grant had 19 points in 25 minutes and Terry Dehere had 25 points in 29 minutes as reserves.