What’s the Buzz? Clippers Cut Grizzlies Down to Size, 101-93

The line began to form around GM Place five hours before Sunday’s Clipper-Vancouver Grizzlies game.

Lured by the promise of two free game tickets and a slice of pizza, if they’d get a buzz cut like the one worn by Grizzly rookie center Bryant (Big Country) Reeves, 2,078 fans showed up for a promotion that team officials figured would attract 250. Women received courtside seats if their hair was cut.

“I’ve had my head shaved and dyed and everything you can imagine done to it over the years,” said Marisa Fairbarrn, 30, of Coquitlam, Canada, who got two free seats behind the Grizzly bench. “I decided to come for a free trim today. I think it’s a good marketing strategy. I think Big Country has a lot of potential.”

But the Clippers cut Big Country and the Grizzlies down to size, winning their second consecutive game, 101-93, before an announced crowd of 18,089.

A team of 25 barbers did 360 haircuts, including 18 women. On a dare, two long-haired blond women, sisters-in-law, got their hair cut at center court at halftime as minicams fought for position.

“Save my hair,” said Nicky Schlamp, 25, of Williams Lake, Canada, as her hair fell onto a plastic tarpaulin at center court. “We’re nuts. But there were good seats involved. It took me three years to grow my hair this long. My husband told me not to come home, but you’ve got to do something wild and crazy once in your life.”

Clipper center Brian Williams didn’t agree.

“I think it’s safe to say that that might be the worst promotion ever,” Williams said. “What you get in return is 48 minutes [of basketball] and then you’ve got six months of hell growing your hair back.

“That was a terrible win. We almost had three fights. We won, but it was as ugly as those haircuts were.”

Reeves got off to a good start, scoring 11 points in the first 11 minutes. But the Clippers held him to only five points in the final three quarters to end the Grizzlies’ two-game winning streak.

“This shows me a lot of support,” Reeves said. “When 2,000 people show up to get their hair cut, you know you’ve got a lot of fans.”

Guard Malik Sealy, who scored a season-high 29 points in the 98-91 victory at Vancouver on Nov. 10, had 25 points as the Clippers beat the Grizzlies for the third time in three games.

“If we played 82 games against Vancouver I would average 100,” Sealy said. “But seriously, I feel comfortable in this building.”

Forward Lamond Murray had 20 points, making eight of 15 shots, including two three-point baskets.

The Clipper reserves, outscored, 37-11, in last Wednesday’s 110-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the Sports Arena, outscored Vancouver, 38-25.

With the Clippers short-handed after guard Brent Barry sat out the game because of flu and forward Loy Vaught, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, went to the locker room with back spasms six minutes into the game, forward Rodney Rogers picked up the slack, getting 16 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.

The Clippers are 2-0 since Rogers, who sat out 15 games because of a sprained right ankle, returned. Rogers made seven of eight shots.

Forward Antonio Harvey, who signed with the Clippers on Wednesday after being waived by the Grizzlies on Dec. 28, had 10 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes as a reserve before departing because of a strained right calf in the fourth quarter. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Clipper Notes

Guard Pooh Richardson and Grizzly guard Greg Anthony received technical fouls with 3:56 left in the third period after they got into a confrontation when Anthony tripped Richardson. “I don’t mind getting a foul for aggressive play,” Richardson said. “But you start messing with people in the lower extremities then people start to get hurt. You tarnish the image on the floor and you also don’t get any respect.” . . . Clipper forward Lamond Murray received a technical foul with 4:56 left in the third period after a scuffle with Blue Edwards, who shoved him. . . . Edwards also got a technical in the second quarter for knocking down swingman Charles Outlaw.