Overtime Is OK for Clippers

Trade Malik Sealy?

Are you kidding?

Sealy scored a season-high 28 points before fouling out as the Clippers defeated the Phoenix Suns, 122-121, in overtime Monday night before 12,049 at the Pond of Anaheim.

Brent Barry made a desperation three-point shot from the right corner as the Clippers overcame a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game into overtime, and Terry Dehere, who had 18 points, scored five points in the final minute of the extra period as the Clippers won their third consecutive game.

“Unfortunately, I hadn’t been making a lot of threes the last couple of weeks, but I needed to make that one,” Barry said. “For us to fight back and scrap and fight, it was nice to know that we can come back and win a game like that.

“This was like a playoff game. This team has a chance to make the playoffs, but we need to make a run after that six-game slide we had.”

Meanwhile, Sealy has been the subject of trade rumors that had him going to the Detroit Pistons for Stacey Augmon.

Trailing, 113-110, after Kevin Johnson made two free throws with 3.3 seconds left, Barry made a three-point shot from the right corner with 1.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime tied at 113-113.

The Suns had a chance to win it in regulation, but Rex Chapman missed a shot at the buzzer.

Playing in their fourth overtime game of the season, the Clippers scored the first four points in the extra period as Rodney Rogers, who had 19 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Charles Outlaw, who had a season-high 15 points, scored on drives to give the Clippers a 117-113 lead.

However, Robert Horry made three of six free throws and Danny Manning, who had 24 points against his old team, made a layup with 58.9 seconds left to give the Suns a 118-117 lead.

But the Clippers didn’t fold as Dehere made a layup and a free throw with 46.2 seconds remaining to give them a 120-118 lead.

After Manning missed a shot, Dehere made two free throws with 20.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a four-point lead, but Chapman made a three-point shot with 14.8 seconds left to make it 122-121.

The Clippers had a chance to extend their lead, but Rogers missed two free throws with 13.3 seconds left. However, Cassell missed a jumper as time expired.

Clipper forward Loy Vaught, who had 18 rebounds in his last game, had a career-high 21 rebounds and 16 points.

Trailing by seven points, the Clippers outscored the Suns, 13-7, to cut the deficit to 111-110 on a dunk by Rogers with 1:11 remaining in regulation.

The Suns called a timeout to set up a play, but Johnson missed a shot with 51 seconds left.

The Clippers used a timeout with 29.1 seconds left after Sealy missed a jumper, but the officials reset the 24-second clock even though TV replays indicated Sealy’s shot had hit the rim and the Clippers had only one second to get off a shot.

They didn’t make it and were called for a 24-second violation with 28.3 seconds left.

Cassell missed a three-pointer with 3.8 seconds left, but the ball went out of bounds off a Clipper and Sealy fouled Johnson to stop the clock. Johnson made two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining.

But Barry made a prayer shot.