Clippers Are Outclassed in Fourth

Portland point guard Kenny Anderson was a New York City playground legend, but his NBA career hasn’t quite lived up to that early hype.

To be sure, though, Anderson is among the NBA’s best floor leaders, which he continued to prove in the Trail Blazers’ 82-74 victory over the Clippers before 12,898 on Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

Anderson scored 20 points in 29 minutes to spoil the Clippers’ home opener. Anderson took charge in the fourth quarter with the game undecided, scoring 10 points. His uncontested 21-footer with 52.9 seconds to play gave the Trail Blazers a 79-74 lead, sealing Portland’s first victory of the season.

“Kenny is a guy I’ve always been a big fan of,” Clipper guard Brent Barry said. “But watching him tonight, my respect level for him just went up so much. He’s been hurting and he’s been ailing and [Portland] Coach [Mike] Dunleavy called his number tonight and he came through for those guys. It was just really something to watch.”

The Clippers were led by Barry, who scored a team-high 18 points after leading the Clippers with 20 points in their season-opening loss at Phoenix on Friday night. Barry also led the Clippers with nine rebounds, and forward Loy Vaught had 12 points and seven rebounds. Rookie forward Maurice Taylor provided a bright spot for the Clippers, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds in 10 minutes.

But the bad news far outweighed the good for the Clippers on Saturday. The Clippers shot only 32.5%, making 26 of 80 field goals.

They were four for 18 (22.2%) behind the three-point arc, and their last field goal came with 8 minutes 31 seconds to play. Add it up, and it makes a 0-2 start for the Clippers.

“Defensively, we played well,” Dunleavy said. “We rebounded and pressured the ball. Offensively, we didn’t click. It was a nasty game. We missed a ton of easy shots. But we had a couple of guys step up big in the fourth.”

Anderson was the Trail Blazers’ catalyst. Anderson didn’t start because he has been recovering from a sprained left ankle, but he had a big impact after entering the game early in the first quarter.

Taylor, who failed to score against Phoenix, was active offensively from the start of the fourth quarter, positioning himself to take good shots. His teammates looked for him and Taylor came through, making his first three shots from the field.

A jumper by Taylor gave the Clippers a 66-60 lead with 8:31 to play, but it would be their final field goal. Two free throws by forward Lorenzen Wright pushed the Clippers’ lead to 68-60, their biggest of the second half, with 7:54 to play.

But the Clippers couldn’t prevent Anderson from darting and dashing through the lane. Back-to-back driving layups by Anderson put the Trail Blazers ahead again, 71-70, with 3:33 to play in the game. A hook shot by center Arvydas Sabonis and a 20-foot jumper by Anderson put the Trail Blazers ahead for good, 77-73, with 1:30 remaining.

The Trail Blazers (1-1), who lost their season opener to Seattle, played without standout guard Isaiah Rider. Rider was serving the last game of a league-mandated, two-game suspension for improper off-the-court behavior.

Portland shot only 38.7%, making 29 of its 75 field-goal attempts. Forward Brian Grant, signed as a free agent from Sacramento in the off-season, had 19 points and led Portland with 11 rebounds.

The Clippers trailed, 40-35, at halftime, as both teams struggled in the second quarter. The Clippers made 30.2% of their first-half field-goal attempts (13 for 43), and they scored only 15 points in the second quarter.

But fortunately for the Clippers, the Trail Blazers didn’t shoot much better. Portland made 38.6% (14 for 38) of its attempts and scored 18 points in the second quarter.

Things didn’t start well for the Clippers in the third quarter. A jumper by Rasheed Wallace gave the Trail Blazers a 44-35 lead with 10:24 to play in the quarter. Fitch quickly called a timeout, hoping to get his players refocused before the game got away from them.

The break helped, and the Clippers got going again. A put-back by Barry gave the Clippers a 48-46 lead with 6:57 to play before the final quarter. The Clippers led, 58-56, at the end of three quarters.

The Clippers started well for the second time in as many games. They used a 14-0 run to take a 16-4 lead with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter. The Clippers led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter against the Suns on Friday night.

But Anderson sparked the Trail Blazers after entering the quarter with 6:43 left. Anderson controlled the game’s tempo, weaving through the Clippers’ defense to set up teammates or get good shot attempts for himself.

Anderson keyed a 10-0 run, making two free throws to cut the Clippers’ lead to 16-14 with 3:06 to play. Portland led, 22-20, after one quarter, outscoring the Clippers, 18-4, over the final 5:23.

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* ANALYSIS

The Clippers know they have a lot to prove in the Western Conference, Mark Heisler writes. C15