Clippers Make the Most of Worst

The Clippers, scheduled to fly to Vancouver immediately after Tuesday night’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, were stranded at Los Angeles International Airport because Vancouver was fogged in.

Arriving here Wednesday afternoon, they played like they were in a fog against the Grizzlies, the NBA’s worst team, squandering a 10-point third-quarter lead.

But the fog lifted and the Clippers won their third consecutive game, 83-80, before 15,619, making five of six free throws in the final 1:14.

“It was a long day,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “But the results make it better. We flew in and got here about 3, and cleared customs at 4.

“It was like a college trip. We stopped at the mall to kill time for an hour before we came over.

“At this level, you wonder whether it’s going to be disconcerting or not, but it had no bearing on the game tonight. The fact that we won made it a short day instead of a long day.”

The altered schedule played havoc with the Clippers’ game-day routine.

“It’s like the worst I’ve ever experienced,” said Clipper guard Malik Sealy, who missed eight of 12 shots. “My routine was off so much that I think it kind of affected the way I played. I think it affected everybody.”

The Clippers, who trailed, 75-71, outscored the Grizzlies, 12-5, in the final 2:53. Sealy, who averaged 17.6 points in his first five games against the Grizzlies, including 22 in the Clippers’ 99-92 double-overtime victory at Vancouver on Nov. 12, had five points in the game-ending run, including a three-point shot with 2:21 remaining to give the Clippers a one-point lead.

With the score tied, 78-78, rookie center Lorenzen Wright made two free throws with 1:14 left and Charles Outlaw, the Clippers’ worst free-throw shooter, made a free throw for an 81-78 lead with 40 seconds left.

“I had ice water in my veins,” Wright said. “I know a bunch of guys were kind of tired from the back-to-back games. But we showed how much we’ve improved. Usually, if we were tired we would have just given up.”

After Vancouver center Bryant Reeves dunked with 14.5 seconds remaining, Sealy made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left.

The Grizzlies had a chance to tie it, but former Laker guard Anthony Peeler, who made only one of 10 shots, missed a three-point shot with 2.9 seconds remaining.

Forward Loy Vaught, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds, thinks the Clippers (24-29), who have won four of six games, are concentrating on defense.

“We’ve found our defense again,” Vaught said. “We’ve been picking it up at the defensive end of the court.”

Leading, 54-44, in the third quarter, the Clippers were outscored 14-1 in the final 5:40 of the quarter as the Grizzlies took a 58-55 lead into the fourth. The Clippers shot only 28% in the third quarter, missing 13 of 18 shots.

“We knew coming in here that Vancouver wasn’t going to be a rest stop,” Fitch said.

Forward Lamond Murray, who had 16 points, two shy of his season high, in Sunday’s 13-point victory at Milwaukee, had 13 points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes in the first half as the Clippers took a 41-32 halftime lead. He finished with 13 points.