Spurs Have Their Way With Clippers

The Clippers found out quickly that Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood isn’t a very friendly place for them.

The San Antonio Spurs built a 34-point fourth-quarter lead and extended their home winning streak to 15 games with a 109-86 victory over the Clippers Wednesday night at the Alamodome.

Robinson had 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes as the Spurs won for the 21st time in their last 25 games.

The Clippers, losers of six in a row, play the Spurs again Friday night at the Sports Arena.

“There’s no question you want to play them again,” Clipper forward Lamond Murray said. “You want to get the victory and you look forward to the next meeting. Just because they played well and really whipped us doesn’t mean we don’t want to face them again. The next time the outcome should be different.”

Bill Fitch, who lost his first 14 games as Clipper coach, is unconcerned about the current streak.

“A six-game losing streak in this league is inconsequential,” Fitch said. “We played last night and our worst games are when we’ve been playing a lot on the road and have to play the second one.

“Tonight we played a very good basketball team that we didn’t have all the answers for. If you want to get into streaks, count the number of consecutive shots we missed [seven of the first eight in the second quarter].”

The Clippers shot 38.4%, including 23.5% from the three-point line.

Murray missed all 11 of his shots and forward Rodney Rogers missed 12 of 15. Forward Lorenzen Wright missed six of 11 shots.

“We just had an off-night,” Murray said. “The shots went in or rimmed out. We had a good looks but they just wouldn’t fall.”

Rogers said he wasn’t distracted by having to guard rookie forward Tim Duncan, the first player picked in the NBA draft.

Duncan, selected as a reserve for the All-Star game, had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

“He’s as good as he wants to be,” Rogers said of Duncan

A third San Antonio seven-footer, Will Perdue, had 16 rebounds.

Guard Eric Piatkowski and rookie forward Maurice Taylor, the top scorers in Tuesday night’s loss at Houston, led the Clippers again.

Taylor had 18 points and six rebounds and Piatkowski had 17 points.

Taylor, selected to play in the rookie All-Star game, said he doesn’t compare himself to Duncan.

“It’s no big thing,” Taylor said. “I play the same against everybody. No matter who you are, I’m going to play hard.”

Piatkowski said the Clippers can’t afford a slump before the All-Star game.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” Piatkowski said. “Our schedule is tough as hell until the All-Star game.”

Center Stojko Vrankovic lasted only six scoreless minutes in the first half before Fitch inserted Wright to guard Robinson, who had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists as the Spurs took a 27-26 first-quarter lead.