Clippers Lose 11th in 12 Tries : Pro basketball: Ninth defeat in a row, 97-86 to Cleveland, causes Fitch to slam door and his players.

After seeing their losing streak extended to nine games, 97-86, by the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night before a crowd of 14,756, the Clippers filed slowly into their locker room at Gund Arena.

Although NBA rules mandate that the locker room be opened to the media 10 minutes after the game, Coach Bill Fitch kept it closed for 25 minutes while he held a team meeting.

“It’s ugly in there,” said a security guard posted at the door.

Fitch was still red-faced when reporters were admitted.

“I wasn’t any more upset tonight than I was a couple of other nights that we lost,” Fitch said after the Clippers lost for the 11th time in 12 games. “The difference was that this is the end of a trip and I felt it was time that we got together and talked about where we go from here.

“I couldn’t say what I wanted to say and they couldn’t say what they wanted to say in 10 minutes, or whatever the league specifies. But we had a good meeting and, if nothing else, it’s good to go to confession and talk about the things we do wrong and what we can do to help each other.

“We want to remind everyone that we have an 82-game schedule and we’re not even a third of the way through it. We’re not anywhere near where we were in terms of being a good basketball team two weeks ago. We’re not ready to fold any tents just because we came out on the road and got beat four games.

“But I know this, we’re sure not trying to look as bad, individually or team-wise, as we’re looking.”

What was discussed during the meeting?

“We were looking for a needle in a haystack,” said guard Malik Sealy, who had 15 points and five rebounds. “It just took a little longer to find it. It was just a little friendly talk and seeing if everybody was physically all right. We’ve had some trying weather, and we had to make sure everybody was OK.”

Said forward Loy Vaught, who missed nine of 13 shots and had nine points and nine rebounds: “It was a confidential issue and we were told to handle it in a confidential way.”

One subject that Fitch probably addressed was rebounding.

The Cavaliers outrebounded the Clippers, 42-27, and had a 13-4 edge on the offensive boards. Cavalier swingman Dan Majerle and center Michael Cage, who won the NBA rebounding championship in 1987-88 as a Clipper, each had 13 rebounds.

“The rebounding killed us,” Sealy said. “They weren’t giving us any second shots and we gave up a couple of key baskets when we had the lead. Just making mistakes like that, you can’t win.”

Clipper center Brian Williams is frustrated over the Clippers’ longest losing streak since they opened last season with 16 losses.

“It hurts. Every man is to blame, every man,” said Williams, who had 15 points and eight rebounds. “Losing will take the wind right out of your sails. The disappointment is overwhelming. How many fourth quarters do we have to be in before we just kick the ball off our feet into the basket and get a win?”

The Clippers (7-14) kicked away the game in the fourth quarter.

The Clippers, who led, 76-75, collapsed and were outscored, 21-11, in the final 7:50. Guard Terrell Brandon scored 12 of his team-high 23 points in the final quarter as the Cavaliers (9-11) won for the seventh time in their last 10 games. Guard Bobby Phills had 21 points and forward Chris Mills 20.

Clipper Notes

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch held swingman Eric Piatkowski, who failed to score in five minutes as a reserve in last Sunday’s 111-104 loss at Indiana, out of the game. “Where would you have played him?” Fitch asked. “Did you think Pike played well enough at Indiana that he should have gotten minutes?” . . . The regular NBA officials, locked out for the first month of the season because of a labor dispute, returned to action Tuesday night. Frustrated after the officials called two quick fouls on Cavalier reserve guard Bob Sura, a fan yelled, “Just let them play.” Replied lead official Ron Garretson: “Those days are over.”