Clippers Get Fouled Up Late on Way to Improbable Rally

All the Clippers had to do was commit a foul. Slap an arm. Grab a jersey. Give a bearhug.

Anything.

The Clippers tried it all, but they just couldn’t foul anybody in the last eight seconds of their 94-93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

The Clippers nearly came all the way back from a seven-point deficit in the final 30 seconds, but missed four chances to foul in the final 8.1 seconds as Cleveland managed to run out the clock.

“The whole thing is, everybody in the ballpark knows you’re going to foul, so do you start a fight with it?” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “We might have started one with eight seconds left and then we wouldn’t have had any players to play the next game.”

Whatever the Clippers did, it wasn’t enough to generate a whistle. The ball was inbounded to Derek Anderson, who passed to Cedric Henderson, who threw it all the way down the court to Wesley Person. By the time the Clippers caught up to Person, he’d passed to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who cradled the ball as the horn sounded.

It was as if Cleveland had won a game of hot potato.

“They tried to double-team us and go for the steal,” Person said. “Once they did that, we knew we had them outnumbered. Whew, we kept it away from them for eight seconds.”

Shawn Kemp had 25 points, including 10 of the Cavaliers’ last 15, in his return from a one-game suspension. Person had 16 points for the Cavaliers, who have won six of seven and 10 of 12 as they try to build momentum heading into the playoffs.

James Robinson, who left because of a knee injury in the third quarter before returning, scored 26 points, Isaac Austin had 24 and Lamond Murray 23 for the Clippers, who lost their third consecutive game and 10th of 11 to fall 43 games below .500.

After Robinson produced the first tie of the game at 85-85 with a three-point basket, Kemp delivered a three-point play and sank three of four free throws to make it 91-86 with 40 seconds left. Ilgauskas then made two from the line for a 93-86 lead.

But the Clippers weren’t finished.

Robinson, who put on a shooting clinic at Gund Arena while with Minnesota last season, drove for a layup, got fouled and missed the free throw intentionally. Austin grabbed the rebound and scored to cut it to 93-90.

“Ike pulled me off to the side and told me to miss it to his side,” Robinson said. “He said he was going to get the ball.”

After Brevin Knight sank one of two free throws, Murray made a three-pointer to make it 94-93 with 8.1 seconds to play, setting up the game of hide-and-seek.

The Clippers were out of timeouts, but could have at least gotten a chance to tie with a three-pointer even if the Cavaliers had made both their foul shots.