Clippers Rough Up the Magic

While the Clippers were knocking out the Orlando Magic, 113-94, Thursday night at Orlando Arena, the Magic was trying to knock out Clipper guard Darrick Martin.

Magic guard Darrell Armstrong was ejected after he body-slammed Martin on a drive with 3.8 seconds remaining. Martin was putting the finishing touches on a 31-point performance, but Armstrong took exception to it.

“I felt like he was just putting us in the dirt,” Armstrong said. “They had the game won and you could see that everyone had stopped playing defense. Their team had stopped and was standing around.

“He should have just dribbled the ball out. I didn’t think they were trying to run up the score, I felt he was trying to get 30 points on us, so I gave him a hard foul to make him earn it.”

Martin said he wasn’t trying to get 30 points.

“Points don’t mean nothing to me,” Martin said after the Clippers had posted their biggest road victory of the season. “When they’re up, somebody will shoot and score, and we’ve had it done to us. It wasn’t me trying to rub anything in their face.”

Martin made 10 of 14 shots, including five of six from three-point range, as the Clippers (32-41), who had lost the first four games of a seven-game trip, extended their lead over the Sacramento Kings (29-44) to three games in their battle for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

“This is a big one,” Clipper guard Malik Sealy said. “It was becoming pretty desolate.”

Martin scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Clippers, who trailed at one point in the quarter by 13, outscored the Magic, 32-21, to take an 80-79 lead into the fourth quarter.

Magic guard Penny Hardaway, who had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, pulled Martin aside to congratulate him at the end of the game.

“He told me, ‘D. Martin, you’re too good to get hurt,’ ” Martin said. “He said, ‘If you’re going to shoot it, shoot the three. There’s other guys in the league that can seriously hurt you [on a drive.]’ ”

The Clippers put Orlando away in the fourth quarter, shooting a season-high 84.6% and outscoring the Magic, 33-15.

The Clippers played good defense in the second half, holding the Magic to 27.6% shooting.

They backed off forward Nick Anderson, encouraging him to shoot, and the strategy worked; Anderson missed 11 of 19 shots, including seven three-point shots.

“We were just relaxed in the second half,” Martin said. “Guys were having a lot of fun and that translates into good basketball.”

An Orlando newspaper polled its readers on whether the Magic should have payed Shaquille O’Neal $120 million last summer. The way things are going for the Magic now, they’ll probably poll fans on whom the Magic should select in the draft.

Playing without forwards Horace Grant (back spasms) and Dennis Scott (knee), the Magic lost center Rony Seikaly (ankle) in the fourth quarter. The Magic (40-34) has lost four consecutive games, one shy of its longest losing streak of the season.

Seikaly said the Magic has lost its confidence.

“The confidence is definitely low, there’s no doubt,” said Seikaly, who had 18 points and six rebounds but failed to score in the second half. “When you lose to the teams we’ve lost to, your confidence goes way down.”

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* LAKERS HEALING

Robert Horry reports no problems with his knee; other walking wounded on mend. C12

* RARE OCCASION

Washington beat Chicago, 110-102, handing the Bulls only their 10th loss. C12