Streaky Clippers Lose to Wizards

The Clippers’ Feast-on-the-East tour hit a snag.

The Washington Wizards, among the least in the East with a record that was 18 games below .500 before Friday night, are not nearly as bad since Jerry Stackhouse and Gilbert Arenas returned this week from the injured list.

And even mediocre NBA teams are nearly unbeatable when their opponents help them to 22-point leads in the first 5 1/2 minutes, as the Clippers did Friday.

The Wizards eventually gave it all back the Clippers tiedthe score, 78-78, in the third quarter -- but finished strong to secure a 112-100 victory before 12,949 in the MCI Center, ending the Clippers’ three-game winning streak.

The Clippers had won four of five, all against Eastern Conference teams with losing records, but their disastrous start doomed them.

“They hit us with a buzz saw,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said of the Wizards, who scored the game’s first 10 points, made their first seven shots and led, 25-3, after Arenas made a three-point shot 5 minutes 25 seconds into the game.

The Wizards, who blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead Wednesday in a 103-101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, scored a season-high 64 points in the first half and made 52% of their shots overall, only the third time in 48 games that they’ve made more than 50%. They never trailed.

All five Wizard starters scored in double figures for the first time since last March. Four scored more than 20, led by Arenas, who scored 25 on eight-of-15 shooting, and Stackhouse, who scored 23 on seven-of-12 shooting.

Kwame Brown scored 22 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, when the Wizards outscored the Clippers, 29-20. Larry Hughes had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

“They just started unbelievably good,” Clipper point guard Marko Jaric said. “They surprise us with the pressure; we just couldn’t handle it at the start. But we came back into the game. We could win this game; we just didn’t have enough power or focus to finish.”

After tying the score on a three-point basket by Jaric, the Clippers had two shot-clock violations over the next 90 seconds, two of their 23 turnovers. The Wizards opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run. The Clippers missed their first four shots and never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

Quentin Richardson scored 24 points for the Clippers and Corey Maggette scored 22, unexpectedly returning to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday night’s victory at Boston because of a sprained right ankle.

But he didn’t start after sitting out the morning shoot-around.

The Wizards led, 22-3, before Dunleavy finally called upon him.

“He gave us a great effort, playing a strong game,” Dunleavy said. “But coming into the building I had no clue that he would even be available.”

*

The Clippers, who had won three consecutive road games, last won four in a row in the 1991-92 season. They’ve never won four in a row on one trip.... With Matt Barnes’ second 10-day contract set to expire before Sunday’s game at New York, Dunleavy said the Clippers would sign the former UCLA forward through the end of the season. Barnes, scoreless Friday night in his first start, has averaged 3.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 11 games since he was signed as a replacement for Bobby Simmons.... Simmons, who suffered a sprained hip Jan. 16, is expected to resume practicing after the All-Star break. “At that point in time, you kind of see how it goes and if it works, that’s great,” Dunleavy said. “If not, I guess we go to plan B.” Surgery, which would end Simmons’ season, has not been ruled out.