Clippers Move Closer With Rout

The Clippers were ridiculed when they traded forward Antonio McDyess, the No. 2 pick in the 1995 NBA draft, to the Denver Nuggets for center Brian Williams, forward Rodney Rogers and the draft rights to Brent Barry.

But the Clippers probably wouldn’t be in contention for their first playoff berth in four seasons if they hadn’t made the draft-day deal.

Although the Clippers failed to sign Williams last summer, Rogers has flourished as the Clippers have posted their best record in four seasons.

Rogers, who scored a career-high 30 points in his last game, had 26 points as the Clippers reduced their magic number to one for clinching a playoff berth with a 116-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets before a sellout crowd of 18,211 at the Pond of Anaheim Saturday night.

The Clippers (35-43) have a three-game lead over the Sacramento Kings (32-46) for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth with four games remaining. The Clippers, who play at Dallas Monday, will clinch a playoff berth with their next victory or the next King loss.

Rogers, who made all four of his three-point shots in Thursday night’s 14-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, made all five three-point shots he took against the Nuggets and extended his three-point streak to nine.

“Rodney is on a roll at the right time,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “I thought he did a great job at both ends of the floor.”

Fitch said Rogers is in the best shape of his four-year NBA career.

“He’s a step-up guy,” Fitch said. “He’s been in the playoffs before. This is his time of the year.

“The other thing that’s helped him is that he’s really trimmed down. There’s less of him, but more of him. He’s in good shape and he’s playing a lot of minutes.”

Rogers, who spent the first two seasons of his NBA career in Denver, was shocked after being traded to the Clippers.

“At first it was a shock, because I talked to Brian and he said it wasn’t going to happen,” Rogers said. “But I looked at it as a positive. It was a chance for me to come over and help this team rebuild.”

Barry, the Clippers’ most entertaining player, brought the team to life in the third quarter, setting up Rogers for a dunk with a behind the back pass and making a reverse dunk. Barry, who had a season-high eight assists, seven points and four rebounds, electrified the crowd with a reverse layup with 29 seconds left that gave the Clippers a 19-point lead.

“He got the crowd going,” Fitch said of Barry. “He had a lot of mustard falling off the hot dog on that one [pass to Rogers]. I thought he was Pete Maravich] incarnate, but that’s Brent, he’s got a flair.”

The Clippers outscored the Nuggets, 35-17, in the third quarter and led, 85-67, going into the fourth quarter. Rogers made three of four shots and scored eight points as the Clippers shot 60%.

The Clippers also played tight defense as the Nuggets missed 11 of 16 shots in the third quarter. McDyess, who had 22 points, missed six of seven shots in the quarter.

Center Lorenzen Wright, who didn’t start the Clippers’ last five games after leaving the team in Miami when his girlfriend went into labor, started against the Nuggets and posted his 12th double-double of the season, getting 23 points, one under his season high, and 14 rebounds, one under his season-high.

Clipper guard Malik Sealy, who missed all nine shots he attempted in Thursday’s loss, ended his slump as the Clippers defeated the Nuggets for the third time in four games.

Sealy, who made his first four shots, made eight of 17 overall and had 19 points.