Vaught, Clippers End Slumps

The Clippers, who have been losing players with as much regularity as they have been losing games, ended their six-game losing streak by beating the Charlotte Hornets, 96-89, Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 5,755 at the Sports Arena.

“Never say never,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said after watching his team win without center Stanley Roberts and guard Malik Sealy. “We had a little bit from everyone we had dressed tonight.”

Forward Loy Vaught, who had made only four of 21 shots in his last two games, made 10 of 18 and had season bests of 23 points and 15 rebounds. With the Clippers leading, 91-89, after Anthony Mason’s three-point play with 1:23 remaining, Vaught made a jumper with 22 seconds left to give the Clippers a four-point lead.

“It was overdue,” Vaught said. “I just felt like I was a big part of the offense tonight. In the month of November we had Stanley back and I found myself just kind of out away from the action, and when I did get shots they were kind of spur of the moment. Tonight I was in the mix, I got some confidence early on and was able to sustain it.”

Terry Dehere, who had a season-high 25 points, made three free throws with 17.2 seconds left after Mason fouled out and drew a technical for screaming at referee Bennett Salvatore.

Dehere, who shooting 31.7% in 16 games as a reserve, said he shot better (eight for 13) because he got more playing time with Sealy sidelined because of an ankle injury.

“I think for any player who plays 10 minutes it’s tough to shoot night in and night out,” Dehere said. “If you know you’re going to play, you relax and your shot starts to come.”

Fitch said he started Dehere instead of Brent Barry, who sat out the first 14 games with a thumb injury, because Barry isn’t in shape.

Barry missed all seven shots he took before fouling out in the fourth quarter after playing only 14 minutes.

Roberts, averaging 10.6 and 5.5 rebounds, sat out the game because of a back injury, and the Clippers had only 10 players in uniform.

“It’s like night and day without [Roberts] from the standpoint of having size in there and having a go-to guy down low,” Fitch said. “It’s a big adjustment to make at the offensive end as well as the defensive end. Stanley was getting credit for some of the points he scored, but he was making a lot of guys change their shots. I thought he was just starting to come around and play good basketball.”

When the Clippers drafted Memphis center Lorenzen Wright, Fitch envisioned him as a power forward-small forward.

But a month into his first NBA season, Wright started his first NBA game at center in place of Roberts.

Wright played only six minutes before getting into foul trouble against Hornet center Vlade Divac and finished with three points and one rebound.

“Remember the first story you wrote? Were you nervous?” Fitch asked. “That’s how you learn in this league.”

After Kevin Duckworth proved to be ineffective, Fitch moved Vaught to center in the third quarter and started forward Lamond Murray, who had 11 points and three rebounds.

Divac, traded to the Hornets for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant, returned to Los Angeles for the first since the deal he opposed and had 18 points and 12 rebounds.