Richardson Hasn’t Lost Touch, Leads Clippers to Third Straight

Guard Pooh Richardson has sat out eight of the last 10 games because of an ankle injury, but he hasn’t lost his shooting touch.

Richardson made all three three-point shots he attempted in the fourth quarter as the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-best three games with a 93-84 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night before 12,891 at the Alamodome.

Richardson hadn’t played much in the last three weeks because of his injury and the emergence of guard Darrick Martin, who had averaged 29 points in his last two games. But Richardson played the entire fourth quarter, when the Clippers outscored the Spurs, 32-22, and he contributed 11 points.

“Pooh came in and gave us a big lift,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “I thought Darrick Martin was a little tired and when I put Pooh in for him I knew Pooh would give us the same outside play that Martin had.”

Guard Eric Piatkowski made two of three and Brent Barry made one of three three-point shots in the final quarter. The Clippers, who missed their first nine three-point attempts, made six in the final quarter to tie a team record.

“It was just fun to be out there, to tell you the truth,” said Piatkowski, who had eight points in 12 minutes. “I have been shooting a lot in practice and doing a lot of stuff on my own.”

Piatkowski caught the Spurs off guard.

“Piatkowski came out of hiding,” the Spurs’ Avery Johnson said. “He hit some big threes and Pooh hit a couple and Barry hit one. They’ve been playing really well, so it’s not a big thing when you lose to the Clippers any more, the way it used to be.”

With the Clippers leading by 72-70, Piatkowski made a three-point shot with 6:57 remaining and Richardson followed with another one for a 78-70 lead with 5:56 left.

“My timing isn’t completely there, but as long as Darrick is playing well for us, that gives me more time to get myself together,” said Richardson, who made three of six shots and had four assists and one steal.

Rookie center Lorenzen Wright tied his season-high with 16 points. His 11 rebounds were only one less than his season-best.

“If he keeps playing like that I’m not going to be able to call him ‘Rookie’ very much longer,” Fitch said. “I’m going to have to learn how to say ‘Lorenzen.’ ”

Although forward Rodney Rodgers struggled, missing 13 of 14 shots, forward Loy Vaught and guards Malik Sealy and Barry picked up the slack.

Vaught had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Sealy had 15 points. Barry had 10 points, including six in the final quarter, and was involved in the play of the game.

With the Clippers leading 80-76 with 2:41 left, the Spurs’ volatile Vernon Maxwell drew a flagrant foul for grabbing Barry around the neck and flinging him down.

Barry made two free throws and Richardson followed with a three-point shot as the Clippers took a nine-point lead.

Maxwell drew a technical foul with 2:03 to play after he complained that Piatkowski bit him in the head and no foul was called.

“I got bit and no foul was called,” Maxwell said. “I went up to take a shot and I guess his teeth caught my head.”

Maxwell declined to discuss the flagrant foul, but he did say he doesn’t think officials pick on him because of his reputation.

“My history is behind me, I’m a good guy,” said Maxwell, who drew a 20-game suspension and a $10,000 fine in 1995 for punching a heckler in Portland.

Maxwell made up for the flagrant foul and the technical by making back-to-back three-point shots as the Spurs cut the lead to 87-84 with 1:02 remaining.

He barely missed a game-tying three-point shot with 42 seconds remaining as the ball rimmed out.

“I thought it was going in when it left my hands and it did,” said Maxwell, who had 11 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter. “It was just my luck that it popped out. I was just trying to get the game into overtime.”

After Maxwell’s miss, the Clippers made six free throws in the final 39 seconds to improve to 3-0 against the Spurs this season.