Clippers Have a Small Problem

The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t known as the wackiest bunch to lace up a pair of high tops for absolutely no reason. They defy conventional wisdom at every opportunity. For the Trail Blazers, there are only two ways to play: the hard way and the harder way.

The latest evidence was their 80-79 victory Monday over the Clippers before a wrung-out crowd of 19,423 at Staples Center.

Portland built an 11-point lead three minutes into the fourth quarter only to come apart at the seams moments later before rallying to win on point guard Damon Stoudamire’s jump shot with 3.2 seconds left.

Stoudamire dribbled calmly on the left wing as the seconds ticked past, then launched his jumper over Clipper guard Earl Boykins, who stands only 5 feet 5. Stoudamire’s basket was his fifth in 16 attempts.

What, him worry?

Then Boykins’ driving shot attempt failed at the buzzer, preserving Portland’s one-point victory.

In the end, the Trail Blazers should have had ‘em all the way. That they didn’t speaks to the weirdness factor that seems to constantly swirl around them.

The Clippers’ 12.5% shooting in the third quarter (Michael Olowokandi three for three; everybody else 0 for 21) alone should have doomed them to their third defeat in four games this season against Portland.

But the Trail Blazers’ reputation is not without merit. They were in all their glory in the fourth quarter Monday, Rasheed Wallace swishing a jump shot in front of the Clipper bench, drawing a foul and talking stuff to Coach Alvin Gentry.

Soon enough, Wallace also talked stuff to the referees and picked up a technical foul. Portland Coach Maurice Cheeks took up Wallace’s case and drew a second technical with 6:59 left in the game.

All of which ignited a Clipper comeback from a 70-62 deficit. Jeff McInnis made both technical free throws. Quentin Richardson drove to the basket twice to score. Corey Maggette made a free throw and a jumper. Olowokandi’s layup gave the Clippers a 73-72 lead.

The Clippers would lose the lead on Wallace’s layup, but took it back on an Olowokandi hook shot and a McInnis layup after Olowokandi swiped the ball from Stoudamire.

Stoudamire made two free throws after fouling out McInnis with 2:07 left. Richardson made a layup to give the Clippers a 79-76 lead. Scottie Pippen and Ruben Patterson each made a free throw, closing the gap to 79-78.

The Clippers then crumbled, Olowokandi missing and the Trail Blazers rebounding. Stoudamire never hesitated and sent the Clippers off on a five-game trip losers of two of three after the All-Star break.

The Clippers awoke Monday to find themselves two games behind the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference standings. The Clippers were ninth, one spot out of the promised land. The Trail Blazers were seventh, but given their second-half dismantling Sunday of the Lakers, they seemed primed to rise a few spots in the standings.

“They are one of the teams we’re trying to chase,� Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said of Portland before the game. “There are five or six teams that are right there [in front of the Clippers]. So yeah, if this isn’t worth two games, then it’s very important to us.�

The Clippers came out firing blanks. The fact that they trailed only 42-37 by halftime was perhaps due more to their ability to roll with the inconsistent Trail Blazers.

Still, the Clippers’ 43.2% shooting was nothing to boast about by halftime. The Clippers also had their troubles defending Portland, which is a tough combination to overcome.

At one point in the second quarter, Portland scored 10 consecutive points on layups.

Stoudamire interrupted the streak with a short bank shot that gave the Trail Blazers a 40-35 lead after the Clippers had gone on an 11-2 run.

Later, Dale Davis added another layup to account for the Trail Blazers’ five-point lead at the half. But he missed a jumper at the buzzer or matters might have been worse for the Clippers at intermission.

As it was, things didn’t improve to start the third quarter. Portland scored the first six points of the second half and the Clippers seemed out of sync at both ends of the court.

In search of a spark, Gentry, out of options, turned to Boykins, with McInnis on the bench with his fourth foul.