Clippers Pick on Somebody Their Own Size

Playoffs?

The Clippers, who beat the Dallas Mavericks, 110-106, Thursday night before an announced crowd of 14,452 at the Pond of Anaheim, have gotten back into contention for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth by winning four of their last six games.

Although they probably have as much chance of earning their first playoff berth since 1993 as they do of announcing the actual attendance at home games, the Clippers (23-40) are six games out of a playoff berth with 19 games to play.

“If it was Hollywood Park, I certainly wouldn’t put all our money on us,” said Clipper center Brian Williams, who had 19 points and seven rebounds.

“We’re growing up, but I think now we’re just beating up on all the neighborhood kids that are our same size. We beat a New York team [last week] that wasn’t playing that well, so we really have to be guarded with our enthusiasm with how well this team is playing.”

To make the playoffs, the Clippers would have to leapfrog the Golden State Warriors (28-36) and pass the Portland Trail Blazers (29-34) or the Sacramento Kings (28-33).

“I read where we dream of the playoffs,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “We don’t dream of anything.

“We’re just dreaming of the next game. The most important thing to us right now was the most important thing to us when the season started, and that’s to play the next game as hard as we can play it. If we had more time and more games we might realistically think about what you might do, but right now it would take a lot of help from a lot of people for us to get in the playoffs.”

With the Clippers trailing, 100-99, after Maverick center Lorenzo Williams made two free throws, guard Pooh Richardson, who had 18 points, made successive three-point baskets for a 105-100 lead with 1:05 to play.

After Jim Jackson made a layup off a pass from Jason Kidd, who had 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, Clipper center Stanley Roberts made two free throws for a 107-102 edge. But Kidd made two free throws with 45.9 seconds to play and made a layup with 34.6 seconds left after stealing the ball from Malik Sealy to cut the Clipper lead to 107-106.

Terry Dehere made three consecutive free throws as the Clippers beat the Mavericks (21-42) for the second time in three games this season.

Clipper forward Loy Vaught, who had 20 points and 14 rebounds, said the Clippers have matured.

“We’re starting to grow up and grow together in the latter part of the season,” he said. “We’re not out of it, so we’re going to play each game as though anything can happen.”

The Clippers’ resurgence has coincided with the return of Sealy, who missed 20 games because of a broken thumb.

Activated before last week’s win at New York, Sealy has averaged 7.6 points and 11 minutes in his first five games since rejoining the team. The Clippers are 19-23 with Sealy and 4-17 without him.

Sealy had seven points in 17 minutes as a reserve as the Clipper bench outscored the Maverick reserves, 39-12.

Clipper Notes

Two coaches have been fired after losing to the Clippers. Phoenix Sun Coach Paul Westphal was fired in January after his team lost twice to the Clippers in a week and New York Knick Coach Don Nelson was fired after the Knicks lost to the Clippers last week. “Maybe we can get a third one fired, probably our own,” Brian Williams joked. . . . The Mavericks tried 38 three-point shots, most ever by a Clipper opponent.