Olowokandi Sets the Pace in Clippers’ 107-94 Victory

Whatever Clipper center Michael Olowokandi did to prepare for Saturday night’s game against Indiana, he should repeat the rest of the season.

Olowokandi snapped out of a three-week funk with the best game of his young NBA career, scoring a career-high 24 points to go along with 17 rebounds as the Clippers ended a four-game losing streak with a 107-94 victory over the Pacers before 17,004 at Staples Center.

“I realize that I have to go out and take care of business individually and also in a team concept,” Olowokandi said. “I prepared a little different for this game than I did before. . . . I felt if we were going down, we were going to go down with me.”

After losing back-to-back games to the Lakers, the Clippers were a different team against the Pacers, owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-10.

Playing with confidence from the opening tip, the Clippers also got solid efforts from swingman Tyrone Nesby and power forward Maurice Taylor in breaking an 11-game losing streak to Indiana.

The Clippers improved their record to 10-22, exceeding their win total of last season when they finished 9-41.

Nesby, who was questionable at game time because of flu, came off the bench to score 23 points in 22 minutes. Taylor had 23 points and seven rebounds as the Clippers won for the first time since Dec. 26.

“This was a good win for us,” Taylor said. “Mike was really the difference. He played the way he’s capable of playing tonight and that was the difference in the ballgame. He killed [Indiana center] Rik Smits.

“That’s the way I want him to play every game. That’s what I’m talking about. He came out there and he was aggressive. A couple of times we called isolation plays for the guards and he stayed in the paint calling for the ball. That’s what we have to have him do. We are at our best when we get contributions from everybody.”

Indiana, which defeated the Clippers by 18 points last month at Conseco Fieldhouse, came out flat after winning seven games in a row. The Pacers not only spotted the Clippers a 10-0 lead, but they did not make their first basket until 5:56 remained in the first quarter.

How did the Clippers do it? Believe it or not, they did it with defense.

The mental lapse which has plagued the Clippers throughout the season did not happen early against the slower Pacers. The Clippers stayed close to Indiana sharpshooter Reggie Miller on the perimeter and shut down Smits inside.

The Clippers set the tone by running the floor. Even Taylor, who does not get many easy baskets, got into the act by finishing two fastbreaks in the first three minutes.

The Clippers seemed to be in complete control late in the first quarter when, following a dunk by Keith Closs, they led, 27-16. But Indiana Coach Larry Bird sent in a group of fast players and, led by Travis Best--who was rumored to be heading to the Clippers most of the off-season--the Pacers scored 16 consecutive points.

So, despite their strong start, the Clippers were behind, 32-27, three minutes into the second quarter.

That’s when Nesby took over.

Nesby, who had made 51.3% of his shots in his previous eight games, did not skip a beat with Derek Anderson taking his place in the starting lineup.

Nesby scored nine points, including two on an off-balanced bank shot, to help the Clippers regain control en route to a 14-point lead at halftime.

The key to the Clippers’ win, however, was the final two quarters.

In their losses to the Lakers, the Clippers collapsed after halftime. They didn’t let that happen against the Pacers.

Although they were outscored, 50-49, in the second half, the Clippers kept playing hard. They dove for loose balls, hustled back on defense and never stopped moving on offense.

“We just didn’t come to play tonight,” Bird said. “If we had to go out there and play again right now, we would probably do a little better but you can’t do that. We have to take the loss and move on.”

Best led Indiana with 20 points and Miller, who had 14 points at halftime, scored only two in the second half.