Roberts Stands Out, Murray Sits

Center Stanley Roberts had “Franchise” tattooed on his right arm because he hopes to become the Clippers’ franchise player.

But Roberts, who has sat out 150 games over the last two seasons because of Achilles’ tendon injuries, has been anything but a franchise player.

However, with less than a month left in the NBA season, Roberts has blossomed. Of course, going by recent history, he’ll probably spend the off-season at a fast food franchise and eat his way out of shape by the time training camp opens next October.

Roberts had a season-high 25 points as the Clippers ended the Portland Trail Blazers’ seven-game winning streak, 102-89, Monday night before an announced 8,661 at the Sports Arena.

It was the most points Roberts has scored since getting a career-high 27 points against Seattle on April 22, 1993.

“All I can say is that every dog has his day and today was just mine,” Roberts joked.

Teammate Keith Tower, seeing Roberts surrounded by the media after the game, quipped: “Stanley said, ‘I’m not talking to the press, they don’t talk to me when I’m 50 pounds overweight.’ ”

Said Roberts: “Yes, they do, they just dog me though.”

Said Tower: “He’s eating it up like a cheeseburger.”

Roberts ate up Portland rookie center Arvydas Sabonis, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds, but missed 10 of 17 shots.

“When he’s fresh and rested and on two good feet Stanley’s unbeatable,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “When he gets tired he struggles a little bit, but he was into this one. I thought he did a very good job playing probably the rookie of the year [Sabonis].”

Roberts said playing against Sabonis motivated him.

“Sabonis has been killing us every game we’ve played him this year,” Roberts said. “Tonight we did a good job on him.”

Roberts impressed rookie guard Brent Barry.

“He’s unbelievable,” Barry said. “I had heard the stories about Stanley when he was healthy. It’s like myth or legend around here. I thought it was all fiction, but the way he’s been playing lately, it’s turned into fact. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the most dominant players in the game.”

Forward Lamond Murray, who had averaged 8.2 minutes in the last four games of the Clippers’ five-game trip, was benched by Fitch. He had publicly complained about his playing time. It was the second time in Murray’s two-year NBA career that he has been held out of a game because of a coach’s decision. Fitch also held Murray out of Thursday’s 100-94 loss at New Jersey.

“It was just a DNP,” Fitch said. “I didn’t see any place for the two guys that didn’t play tonight [Eric Piatkowski and Murray]. Don’t read anything into that.”

Fitch, who has asked players not to air their gripes to the media, met with Murray before the game.

“I talked to him about the comments he made and we don’t make comments like that individually or otherwise in the paper. Lamond is in disagreement as to what was said, and that’s his business, but any guy that goes to one of you guys and puts himself in that position pays the penalty. The penalty was not suspension and not playing the game tonight. His billfold took a licking. We don’t do things like that.

“Lamond has got no problem with me, it’s been settled. I bury them fast. Shoot them between the eyes and go on to the next one.”

Said Murray: “It’s just difficult times right now. I can’t be too disappointed. I didn’t play tonight. I’ll just wait it out and see what’s up. I don’t have any say on whether I get in or not.”

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Clipper Notes

Guard Rod Strickland, who walked out for six games in February after the Trail Blazers failed to trade him, was benched at the start of the game after missing Monday morning’s shootaround. Strickland claimed that he missed the workout because he had the wrong bus schedule.