Clippers Get Last Laugh Against the Nets

Videotapes of the Clippers’ recent games might have been suitable for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

But nobody’s laughing in New Jersey.

The Clippers won for the fourth time in 22 road games Thursday night, beating the Nets, 119-116, before 14,446 at the Continental Airlines Arena.

It was only their second victory over a team with a record above .500.

Net center Jayson Williams said his team didn’t take the Clippers seriously.

“We should have beat this team,” said Williams, who had 20 points and 18 rebounds. “This team doesn’t have the talent we have. We just joked around with them too long.”

The Clippers, leading, 117-116, with 19.5 seconds left, did their best to give it away, missing four of six free throws down the stretch.

“If we had just made some free throws, we would have had the game in hand,” Clipper guard Brent Barry said. “But we had to do it the hard way and we kept some fans in the stands.”

The Nets had a chance to force overtime after Kerry Kittles faked out James Robinson for a layup with five seconds left. But his shot rolled off the rim and rookie forward Maurice Taylor got the rebound and made a free throw after he was fouled by Williams for the final margin.

“He had a great look,” Robinson said. “The coaching staff told me to stay up on his left side, but he faked me so good and I jumped to the right. It looked like I wasn’t even there. But he tried to double pump it and it came out.

“He saved me.”

Lucious Harris missed a desperation three-point shot at the buzzer.

With the Clippers leading, 117-116, after an 11-4 Net run, Robinson missed two free throws with 15.9 seconds left.

“We practice our free throws every day, but the noise that was out there tonight was nothing compared to what we put ourselves through at practice,” Robinson said. “We throw balls at each other and stuff like that. But that was nothing compared to this.”

However, the Clippers got the rebound after Robinson missed his second free throws and guard Darrick Martin made a free throw with 11.5 seconds left.

“We heard they’d had a problem with fans leaving early, so we wanted to make it suspenseful and help them stay here and enjoy the game,” said Martin, who had a season-best 20 points and five assists.

With the Clippers leading, 111-105, Taylor, who had 10 points and three rebounds in the fourth quarter, blocked a three-point shot by Kendall Gill and Lamond Murray, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds, made a layup with 1:49 left to give the Clippers a 113-105 lead.

However, the Nets outscored the Clippers, 11-4. Kittles made four free throws, Harris made a pair of layups and rookie forward Keith Van Horn made a three-point shot to rally the Nets.

“In the past we would have lost close games like this,” Taylor said. “But we stayed together. Hopefully we can build on this.”

Rodney Rogers matched his season-best with 29 points as the Clippers, who shot a season-best 55.7%, posted their highest point total this season.

Martin, who had missed 16 of 19 shots in his last two games, scored 14 points in the first half as the Clippers took a 63-60 halftime lead.

The Clippers, who helped fatten the scoring averages of Laker center Shaquille O’Neal, Detroit Piston forward Grant Hill, Milwaukee Buck forward Glenn Robinson and Toronto Raptor guard Damon Stoudamire in their last four games, made Van Horn look like the rookie of the year.

Van Horn had 20 points and three rebounds in the first half.

However, the Clippers, playing their fourth game in five nights, shut down Van Horn in the second half, limiting him to six points.

“This one is a tough one to swallow,” Net Coach John Calipari said. “Give them credit, they’re a good shooting team. We have talented players and when they play hard they can beat anyone in the league. But when they don’t, we can be beaten by anyone.”