Clippers Falter After the First

Midway through the third quarter Friday night, during a sequence that in other circumstances might have qualified for a Clipper highlight package, Elton Brand leaped to block a layup by Trenton Hassell.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, however, retained possession and regrouped, Michael Olowokandi cutting to the basket and taking a pass from Kevin Garnett before flipping a short hook toward the rim that also was rejected by Brand.

This time, the ball again landed in the hands of Garnett. With no time to pass, he calmly beat the shot clock with a three-point basket from the left wing.

It was that kind of a night for the Clippers, who could do almost nothing right after the first quarter of a 113-86 loss.

After losing twice by two points and twice in overtime in their previous five games, the Clippers avoided the second-guessing and hand-wringing that accompanies such results by falling flat in their most lopsided loss so far this season.

They hadn’t been outscored so badly since April 14, when they ended a 28-54 season with a 118-87 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.

They’ve lost four in a row and five of six. And, at 11-11, they’re only one victory better than they were at this point last season en route to another last-place finish in the Pacific Division. At the end of a winless two-game trip, they’re 0-5 against teams that made the Western Conference playoffs last season.

“We’ve got to stop saying, ‘We’re going to get the next one,’ ” reserve guard Rick Brunson said, “because we’re going to keep saying that and it’s going to be the end of the season and we’re going to have 20 wins.”

The Timberwolves, who needed overtime to register a 107-100 victory over the Clippers on Dec. 4 at Staples Center, played all but the first 2 minutes 29 seconds without Latrell Sprewell, who left after suffering a sprained left ankle while being fouled by Bobby Simmons chasing a loose ball.

Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak more than made up for his absence, Szczerbiak scoring 29 points on nine-of-16 shooting and an efficient Garnett making eight of 12 shots and tallying 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Clippers, meanwhile, made only 39.1% of their shots.

Corey Maggette, who had not scored fewer than 27 points in the Clippers’ previous five games, missed 14 of 17 shots and scored 15 points. Brand, his vision blurry after a poke in his left eye Tuesday, missed six of nine shots en route to 17 points. Only Simmons among their starters made as many as half his shots, scoring 10 points on four-of-eight shooting.

Kerry Kittles, who missed both his shots in a scoreless eight minutes, sat out the second half for the second game in a row, suffering from back pain.

After playing 31 and 38 minutes in his first two games back after sitting out 17 of the Clippers’ first 18 games because of a sore right knee, Kittles has played 18 minutes in the last two. An MRI exam of his back was taken Thursday, the Clippers said they did not yet know the results and he’ll be reexamined today.

Kittles’ back tightened Friday, Coach Mike Dunleavy said, but he told the coach he wanted to play. He signaled to Dunleavy that he was unable to continue.

“He’s had some sciatica,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve got to get it under control.”

Even a sound Kittles, however, wouldn’t have been able to stem the tide against the Timberwolves, who have won nine in a row over the Clippers.

The Clippers started well, trailing by one point after the first quarter.

Did the Clippers think they were primed for an upset?

“It goes through your mind,” Brunson said. “But we’re not that good to say that. We’re not a good team. We don’t have great players. In order for us to win, we’ve got to play hard, we’ve got to play together, we’ve got to play smart.”

All of which they failed to do over the last three quarters.