Not a Total Loss for Clippers’ Closs

Rookie center Keith Closs, who idolizes former Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar so much that his favorite book is Abdul-Jabbar’s “Giant Steps,” took a step of his own Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks.

Closs scored a season-high 15 points as the Clippers lost, 83-74, before 6,227 at the Sports Arena.

Replacing starting center Stojko Vrankovic 10 minutes into the game, the 7-foot-3, 212-pound Closs scored 11 points in the third quarter.

“I think it was a surprise to everyone that I finally started [the third quarter],” said Closs, who averaged only 9.9 minutes in his first 20 games.

“I showed everyone what I’m capable of. But I didn’t do anything big; I’ve got a long way to go.”

Closs, who played a season-best 33 minutes, began to tire in the fourth quarter, shooting an airball before Coach Bill Fitch pulled him with 5:15 to play.

“I think Keith showed some spunk and some life,” Fitch said of Closs, who made seven of 13 shots and had five rebounds and two steals. “I think it was a good start for him. It’s a lot of minutes for him to play because of his [lack of] strength.

“But why I’m not jumping up and down is five rebounds isn’t enough.”

The Clippers, who took a gamble when they signed Closs to an $8.5-million, five-year contract last summer, may have gotten a bargain. The undrafted Closs is playing better than Vrankovic, acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Stanley Roberts in a draft-day deal last June.

Vrankovic had two points and two rebounds in 10 minutes, missing three of four shots.

Guard Brent Barry, who sat out five games because of a bruised left calf muscle, started for the first time in seven games.

Barry led the Clippers in points (15.8) and minutes (34.5) but missed seven of eight shots, including six three-pointers, and had three points in 28 minutes.

“I just played terrible, period,” Barry said.

Guard Pooh Richardson pulled Barry aside during a second quarter timeout to give Barry a pep talk.

It may have been Richardson who need encouragement after the game, however.

Richardson, who has started 11 consecutive games, was held out of the final three quarters, getting only two points in 12 minutes as Fitch opted to go with Darrick Martin and James Robinson.

Richardson got up when Fitch walked down the bench after Robinson, who started the third quarter and played nine scoreless minutes, turned the ball over.

However, Fitch told Richardson to sit down and he put Martin in with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

Richardson avoided reporters, going into the workout room to run on a treadmill after the game.

Clipper rookie forward Maurice Taylor and Chucky Brown almost came to blows after they tangled while fighting for a loose ball with 2:15 to play.

Taylor and Brown, who each received technical fouls, were quickly separated, but Brown was yelling, “any time, any time,” as he walked to the bench.

The confrontation seemed to inspire Taylor, who had a team-best six fourth-quarter points.

Taylor made two consecutive shots as the Clippers, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the fourth, got to within four points (76-72) with 1:51 remaining.

But the Hawks ended the game with a 7-2 run to break a season-worst three-game losing streak.

Fitch, whose rotation is based on intuition as much as performance, found a combination that clicked in the second quarter.

Reserves Lamond Murray, Eric Piatkowski, Martin and Closs ignited the Clippers. But it wasn’t enough.