Coaching Dinosaurs Battle

Saturday’s game matched Clipper Coach Bill Fitch, 62, and Denver’s Dick Motta, 65, the NBA’s oldest coaches.

“My grandkids call me Grandpa Dinosaur,” said Motta, in his 25th season.

Motta, the NBA’s third-winningest coach behind Lenny Wilkens and Red Auerbach, said he still enjoys it.

“I guess it’s a way of life,” said Motta, who succeeded Bernie Bickerstaff 13 games into the season. “People ask me why I’m still coaching and I say, ‘Why not?’ It hasn’t been a lot of fun this year, but I enjoy these kids.”

Fitch, in his 24th season, said he never thought he’d coach this long.

“Back then I’d have said, ‘Are you crazy?’ ” said Fitch, the NBA’s fourth-winningest coach.

Fitch said he doesn’t enjoy coaching against Motta.

“To tell you the truth, I’d rather coach against somebody else,” Fitch said. “Dick and I have a lot fun with it, but if I’m going to go out and enjoy a win, I’d rather enjoy it against someone other than him.”

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Center Rich Manning, who was signed for the rest of the season Friday, said he hopes to remain with the Clippers next season.

“Hopefully, I can parlay this into an extension for next season if I work hard and show everybody what I have,” Manning said. “I’ve played against or with a lot of these guys in the Pac-10 or the summer leagues and everybody’s around my age, so I think I fit right in chemistry-wise.”

Manning, who was waived by the Vancouver Grizzlies in January, averaged three points and 1.4 rebounds in his first five games with the Clippers.