Clippers Have Enough Left to Stop Celtics This Time

It’s too easy to suggest it has taken the Clippers until the end of the 1900s to figure out how to win.

But it’s true it has taken the team more than two years to figure out how to beat the Boston Celtics.

On Sunday, the formula became clear: Run with the Celtics, not away from them; don’t get down if Boston makes a big run, as it did to start the third quarter; milk a hot Maurice Taylor in the fourth quarter and sink a couple of big free throws down the stretch, as Troy Hudson did with 4.7 seconds left.

That added up to a 103-100 Clipper victory before 12,039 at Staples Center. It was the team’s third consecutive victory, and sixth in eight games. The Clippers also ended a three-game losing streak to Boston. Before Sunday, the Clippers’ last victory over the Celtics was April 4, 1997, on the road.

“A great win,” said Coach Chris Ford, who returned to the team after missing two games and six days because of back spasms.

“We were undermanned again, and again different guys stepped up. The guys have found ways to make things happen. And we’ve been in situations where we could have easily just thrown the towel in. But we’ve found a way to toughen up and get the job done, which is very encouraging.”

Ford then jokingly said assistant Jim Todd--who coached the team to victories over Golden State and Sacramento in Ford’s absence--”put a lot of heat on me to get a win today.”

There is nothing funny, however, about the Clippers’ shrinking roster. Derek Anderson and Brian Skinner were unavailable because of bad left ankles. Marty Colon is out of town, tending to his ailing father. Michael Olowokandi was scratched before the game because of a sore left knee. And the team lost Eric Murdock in the first half because of a left ankle sprain.

“We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see how bad it is,” Ford said. “I can’t remember playing for or coaching a team this short-handed.”

Among the players remaining, flashy rookie Lamar Odom is still recovering from flu and admitted he has been lacking energy in the second half. But he managed to drag himself around the court for 36 minutes Sunday, scoring 15 points with three assists and a game-high 11 rebounds before fouling out with 50 seconds to play.

“Something’s kicking my butt. I don’t know what it is,” Odom said. “I’m not aggressive out there.

“But I know sometimes my presence on the court is enough. If I can rebound, block a shot, make a play happen . . . that’s what I was playing for.”

Odom was one of five Clippers scoring in double figures. Taylor scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, making six of eight shots primarily off of pick-and-roll passes, to give the Clippers some momentum.

The Clippers started out well, making 12 of 22 shots in the first quarter to take a 31-18 lead. But they struggled after that. Although the Clippers held a 48-42 lead at halftime, they made only 16 of their next 46 shots.

Boston blitzed the Clippers, 19-4, to start the second half and went on to outscore the Clippers, 34-20, in the third quarter to take a 76-68 lead.

“After they made their run we didn’t give up,” Taylor said. “In the past it would have made us drop our heads and give up. But we had a mind set of ‘OK we’re gonna turn it up now.’ ”

Ford and his staff made a sharp defensive adjustment to get the Clippers back in the game, having them go to a halfcourt trap to disrupt Boston’s flow. It also made it difficult for the Celtics to find Antoine Walker, who scored a game-high 28 points, and Paul Pierce, who scored 24.

The Clippers were ahead, 100-93, with 1:11 to play, but Walker’s breakaway dunk made the score 101-99 with 23 seconds left. Then Taylor threw away an inbounds pass, giving the Celtics another chance.

Taylor fouled Tony Battie with six seconds to play. Battie made the first free throw but missed the second. Hudson grabbed the rebound, was fouled by Walker and made both free throws.

Boston’s last shot was Dana Barros’ three-point attempt, which bounced off the rim as time expired.