Clippers Get Something to Smile About

Finally!

Ending their season-high nine-game losing streak, the Clippers held on for a 100-96 victory Saturday night over the Portland Trail Blazers before an announced crowd of 14,312 at the Pond of Anaheim.

“We waved a gorilla off our backs that weighed 795 pounds,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said after his team won its first game since Jan. 25.

The Clippers, who won only 17 games last season, matched last season’s victory total with 32 games remaining.

“We honestly don’t even look at that as a goal,” Fitch said. “When this season started we just took for granted that we were going to be better than what we were last year. That’s never been one of the measures of our success.

“That’s really not a high enough goal to set for any team, but we’re glad to get the 17th because it gives you guys one more thing to put a headline on.”

Forward Loy Vaught had 22 points and nine rebounds and Rodney Rogers tied his season high with 20 points and nine rebounds as the Clippers beat the Trail Blazers for the first time in seven games.

“I feel so light,” Vaught said after the Clippers overcame an 11-point third-quarter deficit. “I’ve got a new life, a new outlook.”

The Trail Blazers, trailing, 93-85, outscored the Clippers, 9-2, to pull within 95-94 when reserve center Arvydas Sabonis, who had 22 points in 23 minutes, made a layup with 44 seconds remaining.

The Clippers called a timeout to set up a play that went to reserve center Stanley Roberts, who made a seven-foot jumper over Chris Dudley to give the Clippers a 97-94 lead with 31 seconds left.

With center Brian Williams sidelined because of a knee injury, Roberts had 11 points and two rebounds in 18 minutes, making five of eight shots.

After Clifford Robinson made two free throws with 23 seconds left to cut the Clipper lead to one point, Terry Dehere made a free throw with 14 seconds left, and Pooh Richardson sealed it with two more free throws with 00.6 seconds left.

After trailing 73-62, the Clippers outscored the Trail Blazers, 16-0, during a 5 1/2-minute spurt at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to take a 78-73 lead on a layup by guard Brent Barry, who had 18 points.

Antonio Harvey, who signed with the Clippers last month after being waived by the Vancouver Grizzlies, made his second start as a Clipper in place of Williams. Harvey missed five of seven shots and had seven points and six rebounds in 23 minutes.

Dehere, who missed 13 of 14 shots in Tuesday night’s 14-point loss to the Boston Celtics, didn’t attempt a field goal in 17 minutes as a reserve in the first half. Dehere looked as if he was going to shoot with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the second quarter, but passed up the shot.

Dehere made two of three shots and had eight points, three assists and two rebounds in 28 minutes.

Sabonis made all six shots he attempted and scored 13 points in the second quarter as Portland outscored the Clippers, 29-21, to take a 54-47 halftime lead. Portland, which shot 28.6% in the first quarter, shot 75% in the second quarter, making 14 of 21 shots.