Clippers Squeeze by the Hornets

As part of a promotion to mark their final game at Staples Center this season, the Clippers literally gave fans the jerseys off their backs.

Next season they’d like to give them a playoff team.

Anything less would be “unacceptable,” backup center Mikki Moore said Saturday night before the Clippers ran their record in Staples Center to 27-14 with a 94-89 victory over the worst-in-the-West New Orleans Hornets, matching their best home mark since the 1991-92 season, when they were 29-12 at the Sports Arena. They were also 27-14 at home in the 1992-93 season.

Injuries and an inability to win consistently on the road and in close games doomed the Clippers to their 12th consecutive losing season and eighth in a row without a playoff berth, but they’re young and seemingly on the come.

With a 36-44 overall record and two games to play this week, they’ve won more than 32 games for only the fifth time in their 21 seasons in Los Angeles and are positioned to finish ahead of the Lakers for only the third time.

“I think we really do have the pieces,” said scoring leader Corey Maggette, whose season was cut short last week because of torn ligaments in his left wrist.

Of course, some of those pieces could scatter this summer, when no less than six Clippers will be free agents, among them forward Bobby Simmons, their third-leading scorer and perhaps the NBA’s most improved player this season.

Also set to test the market July 1 are Kerry Kittles, Marko Jaric, Zeljko Rebraca, Rick Brunson and Moore. All but Jaric are unrestricted and free to sign with any team. The Clippers can match any offer made to Jaric.

But that’s a summer worry.

Against the Hornets, whose losing streak reached seven games with their 62nd loss, the Clippers squandered a 17-point lead before regrouping in the fourth quarter and pulling away in front of 19,060, their eighth sellout of the season.

Four Clippers scored in double figures, led by Simmons, who had 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting. Elton Brand had 20, Jaric 15 and Moore 10.

Dan Dickau and J.R. Smith each scored 17 for the Hornets.

Before the game, Kittles said the Clipper team he joined last summer after eight seasons with the New Jersey Nets bears little resemblance to the teams the Nets routinely outscored during his last few years in New Jersey.

“This team has good character,” said Kittles, whose season was limited to 11 games because of knee and back injuries and whose time with the Clippers probably will end after Wednesday’s season finale at New Orleans. “They have great guys on this team. And these guys, they compete every night.

“Obviously, losing games down the stretch, it’s [a lack of] experience more than anything. But you can’t question this team’s competitiveness. These young guys, and the guys that have been here a few years, they play hard.”

The Clippers, he said, are “pretty close” to reaching the playoffs. “Just win a few more road games,” Kittles said, “and we’re right there.”

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The Clippers are 16-33 against the 18 teams that have reached the playoffs or are still in the race, 20-11 against non-playoff teams.... The Clippers, who have made more lottery picks than any other NBA team, will not be involved in the process next year, regardless of how they finish, unless they make a trade. They included a first-round pick in the 2000 package that brought them Maggette, but the pick was lottery-protected through this year.