Clippers Get in the Fast Lane for a Change

Kevin McHale, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ vice president of basketball operations, has been busily trying to make a deal before next month’s trading deadline.

While he’s at it, McHale should also make a deal for a new bus driver.

The Timberwolves, who stayed at a Santa Monica hotel, got caught in traffic on the Santa Monica Freeway and didn’t arrive until 40 minutes before the tipoff of Thursday’s 109-89 loss to the Clippers before an announced crowd of 5,774 at the Sports Arena, forcing them to cancel their shooting drills.

“We just started the game late,” Coach Flip Saunders said after watching his team fall behind by 20 points in the second quarter. “You can’t fall behind by that much. When we finally got back into the game, we didn’t get right into it in the right way.”

Loy Vaught had 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Clippers (15-20) posted their second biggest margin of victory this season en route to their fourth consecutive victory.

“I never thought about [the winning streak] one time during the course of this game,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “It’s nice to get the win, but there’s no rest for anybody. We’re going to play the world champs [Houston Rockets] here Saturday and it will be a wake-up call for every one of our guys. We’ve got to get ourselves ready to play a great basketball game here against Houston or they’ll humiliate us.”

Forward Lamond Murray had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Guard Malik Sealy had 16 points and seven rebounds and guard Terry Dehere had 15 points and five assists in 30 minutes as a reserve. Rookie guard Brent Barry had 13 points, including 11 in the final quarter.

“If we only played fourth quarters, I’d be a pretty good player,” said Barry, who made three of four three-point shots in the final quarter. “At least all my averages would be up. Down the stretch, if you get open, you’ve got to take the shots and I was able to knock them down.”

But the Timberwolves seemed at a disadvantage from the start because of their late arrival.

“How can you get a bus driver in L.A. who doesn’t know how to get to the freeway?” guard Terry Porter said as he arrived.

The Timberwolves, who have lost 13 of their last 15 games, shot only 38.7%.

“Flip said it was like a CBA game where you show up a half-hour before the game and go hoop it up,” McHale said. “I knew we’d make it before 7:40. That’s all I was worried about. I was getting a little bit concerned, sitting in all that traffic.”

Meanwhile, there have been reports that McHale is trying to ship troubled guard Isaiah Rider to the Boston Celtics for Dee Brown.

Clipper Notes

Minnesota rookie forward Kevin Garnett, who made his first pro start in Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers, sat out the game because of a hand injury. Garnett suffered a deep gash on his right hand between his middle and ring fingers when he banged it on the rim while trying to block a shot. . . . Clipper Coach Bill Fitch dismissed reports that the club is trying to acquire Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley. One report had the Clippers sending forward Loy Vaught and rookie guard Brent Barry to the Suns for Barkley. “I can’t see any scenario where [Barkley] will be coming to the Clippers,” Fitch said. “When was the last thing you heard on talk radio that actually came true? It’s not even a good rumor.” . . . Minnesota guard Isaiah Rider didn’t start because he was late for the shootaround.