Coaches New, but Pacers the Same : Clippers Win 2nd Straight in Handing Indiana Loss No. 8

The Clippers, using a 13-0 run over a span of 2 minutes 42 seconds in the fourth quarter, beat the Indiana Pacers, 113-110, Friday night at the Sports Arena, their first back-to-back wins since games 13 and 14 last season.

Indiana, playing its first game with Mel Daniels and Dave Twardzik as interim co-coaches after Jack Ramsay resigned Thursday, led, 86-81, with 10:21 left in the game before the Clipper surge. The Pacers’ next basket came with 7:39 to play, by which time the Clippers had built a 94-88 advantage.

From there, the Pacers never got closer than the 3-point margin of the final score.

Benoit Benjamin led the Clippers with 22 points, while Ken Norman and Charles Smith added 18 and Danny Manning 17. Chuck Person scored 27 for Indiana, while Herb Williams and Reggie Miller had 24 and Vern Fleming 23.

The Clippers, who played a winless team for the second straight game, are 4-4, including 3-0 at home. The Pacers are 0-8.

Looking for their third win in as many tries at home, the Clippers led at halftime, 57-56, with center Benoit Benjamin the key.

The Clippers were up, 47-46, when Benjamin, coming off his season-high 29 points in Wednesday night’s win over Sacramento, went to work. First, he blocked a shot by Pacer Herb Williams, which led to Charles Smith’s layup at the other end. The next time Indiana had the ball, Benjamin stepped in front of a pass by Vern Fleming at the top of the free-throw circle and was fouled.

He converted both free throws, making the Clippers’ lead 51-46. Then, after Chuck Williams scored for Indiana, Benjamin hit a 5-foot jump hook from the right side. Reggie Miller’s basket brought the Pacers within 53-50, but Benjamin responded again, hitting 2 more free throws with 1:26 to play in the second quarter.

That put the Clippers up, 55-50, and the Pacers had to rally in the closing minute just to trail by a point at intermission.

Benjamin, who came into the game third in the league in field goal percentage, his 62.8% trailing only Dennis Rodman of Detroit (77.1%) and Tim Kempton of Charlotte (72.2%), made 4 of 6 shots in the first half. His 12 points trailed Smith’s 13 for team high, and Danny Manning had 11.

Miller led the Pacers in the first half with 14 points, while Person and Fleming added 13.

The Clippers held a huge advantage in free throws in the first half, making 17 of 20, compared to the Pacers’ 5 of 8.

Clipper Notes

Guard Quintin Dailey did not dress because he has not recovered from the flu. . . . The Clippers play tonight at Denver, where they haven’t won since 1984-85. Channel 5 will televise the game. The Nuggets were 5-0 against the Clippers last season.