Big Three bail out Clippers

The Clippers thought it was a matter of time before their talent translated into wins.

Zach Randolph had 34 points and 16 rebounds to help the Clippers beat the short-handed Indiana Pacers, 117-109, in double overtime Friday night.

Randolph felt a team with skilled players such as Marcus Camby and Baron Davis would break through once chemistry developed, but it would take time because the core of the team is new. Randolph came to L.A. in a trade with New York on Nov. 21, Davis was a free-agent pickup and Camby came in an off-season trade with Denver.

The trio has played 12 games together, and now the Clippers have won four of five, including victories over Portland and Houston.

“We’ve got good players,” Randolph said. “I’m just trying to bring what I can bring to that team, and that’s being aggressive about rebounding and scoring the ball and getting offensive rebounds.”

Randolph is averaging 26.7 points and 11 rebounds in 11 starts since being traded.

“He competes every night, every possession,” Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s out there working his tail off. Offensively, he’s very gifted in the post. He can go outside and stretch big guys and shoot from out there as well.”

Al Thornton scored 25 points, Camby had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Davis had 18 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who got off to a 4-17 start this season.

Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 27 points and T.J. Ford had 17 for the Pacers, who tipped off missing four of their usual starters. Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Marquis Daniels were in the hospital with viral infections, and Ford didn’t start because of a sore left groin. Granger is the league’s No. 5 scorer with 24.4 points per game.

“I’m happy we won,” Dunleavy said. “I’m disappointed in a sense because we were playing a team that has a lot of guys out, and it took us until way late in the game where we were competitive and we could really win it.”

Indiana is 0-4 in overtime games.

--

Clippers tonight

AT MILWAUKEE

Time: 5:30 PST.

On the air: TV: Ch. 5; Radio: 710.

Where: Bradley Center.

Records: Clippers 8-18, Bucks 12-16.

Record vs. opponent (2007-08): 1-1.

Update: This is the Clippers’ final stop on a four-game trip. Guard Mike Taylor broke his right thumb in Friday night’s game at Indiana and will miss tonight’s game. Milwaukee hired Scott Skiles as coach to instill toughness into the Bucks’ style of play, but they lost dynamic point guard Mo Williams to free agency and their leading scorer, Michael Redd, has sat out almost half his team’s games this season because of injury. Ex-UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has been in and out of the Bucks’ starting lineup.

-- Barry Stavro