Clippers Tripped Up Again

One month into the season, there was not too much difference between the Clippers and the New Jersey Nets.

Both teams struggled, and entering the second week of December, the Clippers were 4-13, compared to the Nets’ 2-15.

Since then, however, New Jersey has discovered how to win. And the Clippers? Well, you know.

Behind point guard Stephon Marbury, who is not afraid to make an extra pass or take a big shot, the Nets exposed the gap between the teams Thursday night with a 110-105 victory before 15,535 at Continental Airlines Arena.

“We’re a young team and we can’t afford to keep making mistakes like we do in key points of the game,” said Clipper rookie Lamar Odom, a native of Queens who had an impressive homecoming to the New York area with 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

New Jersey, which has won 13 of 18 games, was able to withstand a late Clipper rally thanks to two jump shots in the final minute by Marbury, who finished with 21 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

“I’m loving winning,” Marbury said. “It’s a lot of guys coming to play every night. They’re doing it offensively and defensively. . . . When I first come out, I think we’re going to win until the game is over. [The Clippers] made the run and we had to stand there and fight. We fought back and won the game.”

Guard Kerry Kittles scored a team-high 22 points and forward Keith Van Horn added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who outrebounded the Clippers, 48-29.

Backup center Jamie Feick’s 14 rebounds led New Jersey. The Nets had 20 second-chance points to the Clippers’ eight.

“We have to get better rotating on defense after penetration,” said Clipper center Michael Olowokandi, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

“Long rebounds also hurt us because when [our big men step out] to help on defense, we’re out of position. We’re always scrambling for rebounds and we need help from our perimeter guys.”

The Clippers, who are 0-3 on their four-game trip, shot a season-high 53.7% from the field. It wasn’t enough to prevent them from losing their third game in a row and sixth consecutive road game.

Guard Derek Anderson scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, making nine of 15 shots, and forward Maurice Taylor, who played most of the fourth quarter with bruised ribs, had 18 points on seven-of-14 shooting.

New Jersey, which held a 26-14 rebounding edge in the first half, took control with a 21-6 run, which began late in the first quarter and ended midway into the second. Marbury, who leads the Nets in scoring and assists, controlled the tempo from the opening tip as he had 14 points and five assists for the Nets, who led, 56-50, at halftime.

The Nets had a 9-3 run to start the second half, but the Clippers stayed close behind the shooting of Anderson, who scored 11 points in the quarter.

Trailing by seven points at the start of the fourth, the Clippers, who played without swingman Tyrone Nesby (family illness) and forward Brian Skinner (ankle sprain), matched New Jersey basket for basket for the first eight minutes.

But after trailing, 100-90, with 3:53 to play, Anderson scored five points to help the Clippers cut New Jersey’s lead to 104-101 with 1:17 to play.

Marbury then secured the victory when he made a 19-foot jump shot with 59.4 seconds left and followed a basket by Anderson with a 22-foot jump shot with 18.2 seconds remaining.