Clippers end long trip with loss to Atlanta Hawks

Baron Davis called it heartbreaking. Eric Gordon said it was not up to par.

Al Thornton?

“It was a decent trip,” the Clippers forward said Wednesday night at Philips Arena after his team concluded a two-week journey with a 103-97 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “We could have done a lot better, but it was a decent trip.”

Asked what he meant by “decent,” Thornton fell silent for several seconds.

“What was our record on this trip, anyway?” he inquired.

Informed it was 2-6, Thornton chuckled and said, “I guess not so decent, then. My bad.”

After 14 days, some 8,462 miles traveled and three losses for every victory, the Clippers returned to Los Angeles closer to making a push for the draft lottery than the playoffs. At 21-28, they are a season-worst seven games under .500.

They had a chance Wednesday to pull out a second consecutive unexpected victory to help offset bewildering losses to New Jersey and Minnesota.

One night after beating Chicago, the Clippers staved off a pair of second-half surges by Atlanta and took an 84-75 lead on a pair of free throws by forward Craig Smith with 8 minutes 15 seconds left.

That’s when their shots stopped falling and the Hawks got out in transition, using runs of 9-0 and 11-2 to pull away in a game they once trailed by 13 points in the third quarter.

“They just kept coming, kept coming, kept putting the pressure on us,” said Davis, who had 16 points on seven-for-16 shooting.

Guard Joe Johnson scored 21 of his 34 points in the second half for the Hawks, who attempted 28 free throws overall to the Clippers’ 18. Atlanta guard Jamal Crawford scored 22 points off the bench and center Al Horford (16 points, 10 rebounds) and forwards Josh Smith (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Marvin Williams (10 points and 10 rebounds) each notched a double-double.

Clippers center Chris Kaman and Gordon had 17 points apiece, but each struggled with his shooting touch. Gordon made six of 17 shots and Kaman made seven of 21. All five Clippers starters made fewer than half their shots.

“It’s weird,” said Kaman, who also had 10 rebounds. “One night you shoot the ball really good and the next night you just struggle.”

Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds to go with six points and six assists for the Clippers, who fell to 1-14 on the road against teams with .500 or better records. They are also 1-6 on the road on the second night of back-to-back situations.

The Clippers’ inability to sustain any momentum on their season-long trip was attributable in part to injuries. Kaman missed two games because of a sprained ankle and Gordon sat out three with a sprained left big toe.

The Clippers won only one of those five games.

“It was tough to really get a good grasp on who we want to be and who we are because guys are sitting out games,” Davis said.

Their roster is now mostly intact as they return home, where they will play two of their last three games before the All-Star break.

“We have to regroup,” Thornton said. “We have several games at home and we have to get those before the All-Star break.”

Etc.

With reserve point guard Sebastian Telfair expected to miss another month because of a ruptured right groin muscle, Coach Mike Dunleavy said he was satisfied with the Clippers’ options backing up Davis.

Bobby Brown has averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 assist in the five games he’s played since being acquired from New Orleans, and Mardy Collins is averaging 2.3 points and 0.9 assists.

The 6-foot-6 Collins will typically play when the Clippers face larger point guards and the 6-2 Brown will go against smaller, faster counterparts.

“I think we’re good to go,” Dunleavy said.

ben.bolch@latimes.com