Clippers Officially Lose to the Timberwolves, 95-93

By CHRIS BAKER

Jan. 12, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MINNEAPOLIS — Clipper Coach Bill Fitch, who helped pioneer the use of videotaped scouting in the NBA, loves to look at game tapes.

When Fitch watches the tape of the Clippers’ 95-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night at Target Center, he’ll probably focus on officials Ed Middleton, Jim Clark and George Tolliver instead of his players.

Fitch was livid after Middleton, the senior official, corrected a scorekeeper’s error by giving the Timberwolves a point with 3:26 to play in the fourth quarter.

With the Timberwolves trailing, 83-80, Kevin Garnett made two free throws with 3:46 remaining. However, the scorer incorrectly put 83-81 on the scoreboard. Although the Target Center crowd of 16,093 began chanting “82, 82, 82” the officials let the score stand until Middleton corrected the error after consulting with the scorer during the next timeout.

“We settled the United Nations problems faster than they settled whether they had the extra point on the board or not,” Fitch said.

While the official gave a point to the Timberwolves, they took a point away from the Clippers at halftime.

After Darrick Martin appeared to make a three-point shot and a free throw for a rare four-point play with 53 seconds left in the second quarter, Clark ruled that Martin’s shot wasn’t a three-point basket as the teams walked off. However, it appeared from replays that Martin had both feet behind the three-point line.

“I’ve never been in a game where they take one back and give one as the game goes along,” Fitch said. “I think the three was a three. I found out something tonight. He didn’t get any confirmation from his two partners [as to whether it was a three-point shot] and he got to thinking that he wasn’t that sure on his own. I didn’t know you can referee under that circumstance.”

Fitch, who was careful to avoid directly ripping the officials, said he plans to send a tape of the game to the NBA office.

“I thought the game stunk, period,” Fitch said. “Our guys couldn’t play any harder. My Boston team[s] that won 60 games four years straight years couldn’t have won that game tonight if I had them back here.”

Why not?

“Figure it out.

“They put cotton and gags in your mouth, so my recourse is to take that film and give it to Rod Thorn [NBA senior vice president for basketball operations] and talk to Rod Thorn about the way it was worked and if he thinks that something should be done about the way the game was worked then something will happen.

“I’ve been in this league a long time and have never [complained] about officials and I’m not going to start now. I’m just going to take it through channels and let it go, but I can’t be happy talking to you guys right now about that basketball game.”

Center Dwayne Schintzius, who drew a flagrant foul for knocking down Garnett as they battled for position under the Minnesota basket with 3:46 left before the scorer misplaced a point, thought that it was a poor call.

“I hit the ball and then it hit him and then he fell down because he’s light, and that’s my fault?” Schintzius said. “When I tried to talk to [Middleton] about it, he walked away. Tell him to look at the film. I tried to catch [Garnett].”

The Clippers, who led by five points in the fourth quarter, were outscored, 17-9, in the final seven minutes as they lost their second consecutive game after winning the first three games of a five-game trip.

“This was a game we should have won,” said Martin, who made four of six three-point shots and scored a team-high 19 points.