They’re on Pace for Awful Finish

The Clippers, coming off their best season since 1993, had high expectations for this one.

They hoped to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and advance beyond the first round.

But a quarter of the way through the season, they are headed for their worst season since going 12-70 in 1986-87.

If they continue at this pace, they would win 16 games, one fewer than in Coach Bill Fitch’s first season in 1994-95.

But there is hope.

“If you think the Clippers are the worst team in the NBA, you haven’t seen the Golden State Warriors,” an NBA scout said.

*

Loy Vaught, put on the injured list last week, will undergo season-ending back surgery next week, said his agent, Jim McDowell.

Vaught had a CT scan Wednesday and will undergo fusion surgery for a degeneration between the fourth and fifth disks.

“The down time we got from all the doctors was six months,” McDowell said. “Obviously, you have to respect the seriousness of back surgery, but the prognosis he’s been given by doctors is that he’ll come back even stronger next season.”

TONIGHT

vs.

Atlanta

* 7:30

Site--Sports Arena.

Radio--KEZY (95.9), Lite 92.7.

Records--Clippers 4-17, Hawks 15-5.

Record vs. Hawks--0-1.

Update--The Hawks, who opened with 11 consecutive victories, have lost three in a row after Thursday night’s 94-78 setback at Phoenix, the opener of a four-game West Coast trip. The Hawks defeated the Clippers, 89-83, on Nov. 16 at Atlanta.