Clippers Beaten in Words and Deeds

The Seattle SuperSonics play almost as well as they talk trash.

The SuperSonics, who lead the NBA in steals, forced the Clippers into a season-high 25 turnovers and cruised to a 96-87 victory Saturday night before an announced crowd of 15,081 at the Pond of Anaheim.

The SuperSonics drew four technical fouls for arguing with the officials and guard Gary Payton was ejected after drawing his second technical with 30 seconds left in the game.

“There was a lot of arrogance out there on the basketball court tonight, and it wasn’t from the players or coaches,” said SuperSonic Coach George Karl, who drew a second-quarter technical. “The arrogance . . . who likes being in an atmosphere of arrogance. I’ll probably get fined for saying this, but the refs thought they were gods out there reffing the game.”

Hersey Hawkins and Payton each had 23 points as the SuperSonics recorded their 10th consecutive victory over the Clippers. Shawn Kemp had 16 points and 11 rebounds as Seattle won its fourth in a row overall.

Payton got a scare when he hit his head on the court after landing awkwardly with 30 seconds left. Payton, who was down for several minutes, received his second technical foul as he was being helped to his feet and glaring at the officials as he walked off.

Clipper center Brian Williams, who sat out last Thursday’s one-point victory over Denver because of a strained left arch, limped off the court with 2:09 remaining after reinjuring his arch.

Williams, who had four points and five rebounds in 19 foul-plagued minutes, had to be helped to the locker room.

“It was sore before the game, but you’ve got to expect that,” Williams said. “But it cramped up on me at the end. I hope it’s just a cramp and not too bad.”

The Clippers, who trailed, 84-72, in the fourth quarter, got back into the game with an 8-2 spurt. But the SuperSonics scored seven unanswered points to put it away.

With his father, former NBA great Rick Barry, who was doing TV commentary for Channel 13 looking on, Clipper guard Brent Barry made seven of his first nine shots, including all three of his three-point shots, as the Clippers took a 54-52 halftime lead.

Barry, who hit a last-second winning shot in Thursday night’s 94-93 victory over Denver, scored six consecutive points midway through the second quarter as the Clippers, who trailed, 45-35, outscored Seattle, 11-0. The Clippers ended the second quarter with a 19-7 spurt.

But Barry took only one shot in the second half, failing to score.

“No one had a whole good game,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “Barry was hitting and made some plays the first half and in the second half his game fell off.”

Guard Pooh Richardson, who missed nine of 11 shots against the Nuggets, made four of five shots in the first quarter, including a three-pointer and scored nine points. But Richardson missed four of his final five shots and scored only two points in the final three quarters as the SuperSonics picked up their defense.

The SuperSonics, who have posted the NBA’s best-combined record over the last two seasons, are off to another good start, posting the best record in the Western Conference this season.

However, no matter what they accomplish during the regular season, the SuperSonics, who have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the last two seasons, probably won’t get any respect until they can advance in the postseason.

“It’s humbling, it’s frustrating, it’s demoralizing,” Karl said. “But if you look at the playoff series we’ve had, we did not play badly.”

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Clipper Notes

Clipper center Brian Williams, who criticized the fans at the Pond for being unsupportive, wasn’t booed when he was introduced before the game. “Everything was cool,” Williams said. “I don’t think people took it as a knock.”