Rider Makes Sure Clippers’ Losing Streak Reaches Seven

Just when it seemed like the Clippers’ season could not get any worse, Isaiah Rider made sure it did.

Rider scored from the perimeter, the inside and basically, whenever he wanted in finishing with 38 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 99-81 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night before 16,378 at Philips Arena.

Rider made a career-high 18 field goals and also added nine rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks, who won their fifth game in a row to improve to 9-9 and also gained their 10th consecutive victory over the Clippers.

Maurice Taylor led the Clippers, who have lost seven in a row and dropped to 4-13, with 22 points and seven rebounds and Michael Olowokandi had a strong game with a career-high 20 rebounds and career-tying high of 17 points.

But in the end, it was too much Rider.

“It was frustrating because regardless of how hot he was, we needed someone to step up and say, ‘I’ve got to stop this guy . . . to get the ball out of his hands,’ ” Taylor said about the Clippers’ defense on Rider.

“He basically beat us by himself. Nobody else beat us. When guys get hot like that in this league, it’s really hard to stop them. . . . Every time we missed a shot, he came down and scored. He had a hell of a rhythm.”

The Hawks rode the shooting of Rider for most of the game but it was in the first half when his scoring kept them close. Rider, who entered averaging 21 points, had 21 in the first two quarters alone as he ripped through the defense of Eric Piatkowski, Tyrone Nesby, Lamar Odom and Derek Anderson, who all had chances guarding the high-scoring guard.

“Some of the guys came to me and said we need a big night out of you,” said Rider, who also had nine rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes. “I started being more assertive and more aggressive. I kind of realized early how the game was going and I was just trying to get myself involved.”

As involved as Rider was, the Clippers still had their chances.

They led, 47-45, at halftime because of strong play from Taylor, Odom and Olowokandi. The Clippers’ starting frontcourt combined for 32 first-half points with Olowokandi adding 11 rebounds.

Atlanta, however, gained control with a big third quarter, outscoring the Clippers, 26-16. The Hawks led, 71-63, at the start of the final period, and after a tip-in basket from Olowokandi and a jump shot by Nesby, the Clippers trailed by only four. But Rider and rookie guard Jason Terry got Atlanta back in groove by combining for eight points to give the Hawks an 11-point lead with 6:27 remaining.

“We just caved in again,” Clipper Coach Chris Ford said. “We had played hard and even though Isaiah had the hot hand, we had the other guys under control. It was like we hit the wall. We stopped executing and stopped working on the defensive end for a four-minute stretch.”

The Clippers’ once-promising season has hit a boulder in the road.

Anderson, who started at point guard for the second game in a row, fell far short of the triple-double he recorded against Miami on Monday, scoring five points and committing six turnovers in 36 minutes.

“[The loss] is just like the rest of them but this one was really bad, especially when you know you should have won,” said Anderson, who also had a team-high eight assists and four rebounds.

“I know it’s my job to create. Look pass first and then shoot. But every time I lost control, it was because I was trying to pull back when I’m used to going and looking for my shot.”

Anderson didn’t play the entire game at point guard. Ford used Eric Murdock for 19 minutes off the bench but he didn’t play Troy Hudson for the first time this season.

“It’s just too hard to play three point guards in a game,” Ford said.

The Clippers’ 36.8% shooting from the field, including four of 17 from behind the three-point line, did not help. Not when Atlanta was making 50.6% of its shots.

“Michael and Mo had outstanding games out there on the offensive end, but we had no support from the perimeter people,” Ford said. “The guys have to knock some shots down to get us some relief out there.”

Piatkowski and Nesby combined to make six of 22 shots for 13 points.

Not enough to end a losing streak for the Clippers, who will continue their three-game trip with games at Detroit and Indiana on Friday and Saturday.