Overtime Victory Taylor-Made for Clippers

Rookie forward Maurice Taylor scored four of his 17 points in overtime, as the Clippers won for the third time in 17 games, defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 100-96, Thursday night before 5,302 at the Sports Arena.

Swingman Eric Piatkowski had a career-best 25 points and 12 rebounds in his second consecutive start in place of injured guard Brent Barry. He made nine of 14 shots.

“I’ve had to stay focused this season,” said Piatkowski, who has averaged 7.9 points and 16.4 minutes. “I’ll play 15 minutes one game and three minutes the next.

“I’ve had to stay after practice and run to stay in shape. If I hadn’t done that there’s no way I could have played 40 minutes the other night against the Jazz. I would have been dead out there.”

Piatkowski had eight points in the third quarter as the Clippers cut the score to 76-69 going into the final quarter.

Taylor, who made seven of 15 shots, dunked with 1:19 remaining in overtime to give the Clippers a 96-93 lead.

“I went in with the mind-set in the overtime that I was either going to get fouled or score,” Taylor said.

The Spurs had a chance to win it after Taylor fouled out with 26.3 seconds left, but center David Robinson, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds, missed two free throws with 26.5 seconds left and guard Darrick Martin, who had 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, made two free throws with 20.4 seconds remaining in overtime.

With the score tied, 87-87, after Robinson made a free throw with 3.8 seconds left in the final quarter, the Clippers had a chance to win it in regulation, but they failed to get off a shot in the final 1.2 seconds.

Coach Bill Fitch, who thought the clock started before the ball was inbounded, ran to the scorer’s table.

“Who . . . is running the clock?” Fitch screamed.

Lamond Murray, who had six of his 12 points in the final quarter as the Clippers outscored the Spurs, 18-11, dunked off a pass from Lorenzen Wright with 5.4 seconds left to give the Clippers an 87-86 lead.

But they left too much time on the clock and Robinson made a free throw after he was fouled by Wright on a drive with 3.8 seconds left to force overtime.

With the Clippers trailing, 86-83, after Robinson made a layup with 37.9 seconds remaining in the final quarter, Wright, who had 17 points and nine rebounds, made two free throws with 24.3 seconds left to cut the score to 86-85.

The Clippers had to foul to get the ball back and Martin hit Sean Elliott with 10.1 seconds left.

Elliott, a 71.7% free-throw shooter, missed both foul shots and Martin rebounded the second miss with 8.2 seconds left in the final quarter.

Murray and Wright worked the give-and-go to give the Clippers the lead with 5.4 seconds remaining in the final quarter.

Murray, the Clippers’ sixth man, had four points as the Clippers outscored the Spurs, 10-2, in the first seven minutes of the final quarter to take the lead. The Clipper bench outscored the Spurs, 51-10.

Barry, the Clippers’ leading scorer, missed his second consecutive game because of a calf muscle injury.

Barry hopes to return Saturday against the Orlando Magic.

“He’s riding the bike and lifting weights, but his lateral movement is restricted,” Clipper trainer Ray Melchiorre said.

Tim Duncan, the NBA’s leading rookie scorer, had 14 points and nine rebounds.