Clippers Just Can’t Seem to Beat Clock

Memo to the Clippers:

Learn to tell time.

Sure, some of you guys have expensive watches, but you can’t read a game clock.

Trailing the Portland Trail Blazers by three points with 22.6 seconds left Tuesday night, the Clippers allowed the Trail Blazers to run nearly 12 seconds off the clock before fouling Isaiah Rider. He made two free throws with 10.8 seconds left as the Trail Blazers handed the Clippers their fifth loss in six games, 109-105, before 21,340 at the Rose Garden.

“In the end we had miscommunication,” guard Brent Barry said after the Clippers lost their 10th consecutive game here. “You want time on your side, and we had the time. We weren’t able to convert. We ran a little too much time off the clock and just couldn’t get a clear shot at the basket.”

After Eric Piatkowski made a layup, the Clippers quickly fouled Kenny Anderson, who made one throw with 7.3 seconds remaining as the Trail Blazers (36-28) extended their winning streak to seven games.

Brent Barry missed a hurried three-point shot with five seconds to play.

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said Barry was fouled by Stacy Augmon on the shot.

“Everybody may be be critical about him rushing a shot, but he drew the foul and he’s in there with the mark to prove it,” Fitch said.

Said Barry: “I was hit, but you’re not going to get a call like that on the road. Portland outplayed us tonight. The game would never have come down to that if our guys didn’t have some pride.”

The Clippers, who were on their way to being blown out after falling behind the Trail Blazers by 19 points early in the fourth quarter, made a game of it.

Reserves Rodney Rogers, Pooh Richardson, Lamond Murray and Piatkowski, playing with center Lorenzen Wright, outscored Portland, 28-12.

Rogers had eight of his game-high 26 points and Murray had 10 points in the fourth quarter.

“Rodney has been doing Kevin McHale impersonations for us,” forward Loy Vaught said. “He’s giving us huge numbers off the bench.”

Wright, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound power forward who moved to center because of injuries to Kevin Duckworth and Stanley Roberts, did a good job against against Trail Blazer center Arvydas Sabonis.

Wright had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in 37 minutes, and Sabonis had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

“Lorenzen Wright looked like he went 15 rounds with Sabonis instead of 37 minutes,” Fitch said.

Wright almost came to blows with Sabonis, 7-3 and 300 pounds, after Sabonis wrapped his left arm around the rookie’s throat while going for a rebound in the final quarter. But they were quickly separated by teammates.

“He elbowed me in my face, but the refs didn’t call a foul and I didn’t want to dish off $10,000, so I didn’t retaliate,” Wright said as he was putting on his extensive collection of jewelry. “I ain’t got enough money yet to be fighting. That money I save fighting, I can go buy me some more jewelry.”

And a new watch.