Clippers Are No Clinchers in Loss

Another good time ruined for the Clippers, so it must be the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings have been a source of frustration for the Clippers for a long time, and they spoiled a potential playoff-clinching party Friday night with a 96-93 victory at Staples Center.

Sacramento capitalized on the Clippers’ questionable judgment in the fourth quarter, overcoming a three-point deficit in the final 1 minute 20 seconds for a win that prevented the Clippers from clinching their first playoff berth in nine seasons.

Swingman Ron Artest made a three-pointer to tie the score, 92-92, with 1:10 left, and a turnaround jumper in the lane over Cuttino Mobley with 34.3 seconds left to give Sacramento the lead for good.

Center Brad Miller made two free throws with 16.7 seconds left, and Vladimir Radmanovic missed a potential tying three-pointer as time expired.

Artest, whom the Clippers tried to acquire from the Indiana Pacers before the trade deadline, had 23 points, six assists and three steals, and point guard Mike Bibby scored 30 points for the Kings, who swept the four-game season series and extended their winning streak to 13 over the Clippers.

The Clippers’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth is still one. They’re off today and could qualify if the New Orleans Hornets lose, but that’s not how they had hoped to achieve their biggest goal of the season.

“Our finish was disappointing,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We got a little frantic at the end. At times, we had time on the clock and shot the ball quickly.

“Some of our double teams on Artest weren’t quick enough. We made those mistakes, as well as 20 points off of turnovers. I thought that was the difference.”

It appeared the Clippers (44-31) would end a game with a victory over Sacramento for the first time since Jan. 18, 2003.

With the Clippers leading, 92-89, Elton Brand, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds, took a quick shot and missed. Sam Cassell followed with another quick shot, which also missed.

And with that, the Kings were energized.

“I thought it was too quick,” Dunleavy said. “At that point, we had the lead. I’d rather get the ball in the low post, and let us try to go to work.”

Instead, the Kings finished strong.

Sacramento (40-37), which would be seeded seventh if the Western Conference playoffs began today, turned to Artest, who had 26 points, five steals and five assists in a 106-96 victory over the Clippers on Sunday.

Mobley, who scored 19 points off the bench, could have tied the score at 94-94 at the 17.5-second mark, but made only one of two free throws.

Despite their improvement, the Clippers haven’t fared well against teams that spread their offense and penetrate.

They finished 0-4 against the Kings and 1-2 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Clippers also are 0-2 against the Dallas Mavericks, against whom they finish the regular season, April 19 at Dallas.

Although those records might not stir optimism among some fans about the team’s playoff prospects, the Clippers are focused on the bigger picture.

“Yeah, there are some teams we haven’t played well against, because we just didn’t execute and do the things we needed to do, and we just can’t seem to beat” the Kings, said center Chris Kaman, who had nine points and 15 rebounds.

“Sometimes, for whatever reason, we just don’t play the right way at times, and that can really cost you against the better teams in the league.

“But we’ve been in all those games, for the most part, especially when we’ve been focused and played the right way. Just maintaining that focus for the whole game is probably the biggest thing for us. We’ve been fine when we’ve done that, and it shows us how good we can be.”