Lakers Put the Brakes on Clippers : Pro basketball: Fastest start in 20 years slows at Forum, where Lakers win, 109-88.

All this talk about the Clippers’ great start--a 6-2 record, their best beginning in 20 years, and a five-game winning streak, their longest since March 1992.

Their downhill run ended Sunday night at the Forum at about the same time as the national anthem. Nick Van Exel threw a stick into the spokes, sending the Clippers crashing into places they never thought possible these last couple of weeks, first a 30-point hole by the second quarter and ultimately a 109-88 loss to the Lakers before 15,617.

The final score was nothing compared to what it could have been, if not for the Clipper comeback that made it a six-point game with 7:40 to go. They would have to settle for being a major bother to the Lakers--again--but nothing more.

“We didn’t come here to prove anything except to win the ballgame,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said after both teams went to 6-4, the Lakers after winning for the fourth time in a row and fifth in six outings. “Unfortunately, we played sporadically and they played consistently. We just made too many mistakes, and when you make that many it makes it impossible to beat a good team.”

Most of those mistakes came in the first half. One was somebody dumping lighter fluid on Brent Barry then handing Van Exel a match.

With Van Exel able to use his quickness at both ends of the court and Barry unable to exploit his five-inch height advantage at point guard, it turned ugly early. Van Exel made consecutive three-point baskets and then, after a one-possession interruption for a Vlade Divac free throw, a 20-foot shot followed by another three-point basket.

The Lakers had a 19-10 edge and Van Exel, having made all five shots, had 13 points. The Clippers hung on as late as 29-25. Then they got steam-rolled.

From the point with 46 seconds left in the first quarter until 4:57 remained in the second--a span of 7:49--the Lakers went on a 26-2 charge. It was 55-27, and the worst wasn’t even over for the visitors. That came when the lead hit 30, at 61-31 with 3 1/2 minutes left.

“It’s good to jump anybody, whether they’re playing good or bad,” Laker Cedric Ceballos said. “But they kind of lost a lot of air out of their tires when we did do that.”

The Clippers, who beat the Lakers in two of five meetings last season and had leads of nine and 12 points in the fourth quarter of two others, roared back. Down 25 points at halftime, they were within 13 at the end of the third quarter, then within six with 7:40 left, at 84-78.

The Lakers called a 20-second timeout. They came out from that and got a three-point basket by Anthony Peeler, then an inside hoop by Ceballos after George Lynch’s offensive rebound, then five more unanswered points after that.

Suddenly, the Lakers were back in control, this time for good.

“I wasn’t really nervous,” said Ceballos, who finished with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting and 13 rebounds, both game highs. “I think we had the game. We just had to put it away.”

Or finish what they started.

Laker-Clipper Notes

The Lakers will probably wait until Friday to activate Eddie Jones rather than bring him back Tuesday night against Portland, by which time he will have had only one full practice, even if Jones insists he is ready to go. “I’d say that’s likely, but we’re not going to totally leave it up to Eddie,” Coach Del Harris said. “The only way we’d totally listen is if he says, ‘I can’t go.’ But as far as when once he feels he’s ready, that would be up to the organization.” By holding off until Friday, Jones, who has been able to take part in light drills but no live action since suffering a torn thumb ligament on the fourth day of training camp, would be able to participate in three practices. . . . Brian Williams had 22 points for the Clippers. Brent Barry, recovering from his rocky start, added 15 points and 11 assists. . . . Nick Van Exel finished with 20 points, nine assists and high marks on his defense from Harris. . . . Cedric Ceballos, Fred Roberts, Derek Strong and Frankie King of the Lakers are scheduled to distribute free turkeys today at the Nickerson Gardens Community Building in Los Angeles. Most Clipper players and coaches will serve Thanksgiving meals to more than 600 homeless and needy families Tuesday at the Bread & Roses Cafe in Venice and later will give away turkeys and fixings at the nearby St. Joseph’s Center.