Baylor Stands Pat With Lineup

Coach Chris Ford said the Clippers tried to make a trade before Thursday’s deadline but nothing was enticing enough for Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations.

Instead, the Clippers will keep the same group of players that lost 17 games to open the year for the rest of the season.

“The players in the locker room just have to buckle down and forget about going somewhere else,” Ford said before the Clippers’ 106-92 victory over Sacramento.

“In the end, in our opinion, there wasn’t a good enough offer out there to give up one of our players.”

The Clippers were rumored to be involved in several potential trades, from Rodney Rogers going to Washington for Calbert Cheaney, to Pooh Richardson going to Seattle for Don MacLean.

“Elgin got some calls for us to give up something good, but it wasn’t going to help us,’ Ford said. “We’re not going to just unload a player.”

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Center Lorenzen Wright’s career rebounding night against Sacramento Thursday put him in the Clipper record book. Wright’s 13 rebounds in the first quarter tied the team record held by Michael Cage, set against Houston on Feb. 12, 1988. Wright’s 20 boards in the first half fell one short of Swen Nater’s mark of 21 established against Denver on Dec. 14, 1979.

Wright, who finished with 25 rebounds, said the team’s record has taken its toll.

“Everybody’s just tired of losing,” said Wright, whose previous best rebounding total was 22, done twice.