[0] CLIPPERS CLOMP PAST WARRIORS : CLIPPERS 82 GOLDEN STATE 78.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

The Clippers barely avoided losing this battle of ineptitude and found out they're not the worst team in the Western Conference.

An early 21-point lead, 17 points by Brent Barry and 61-percent shooting in the first quarter were only teasers. This game was a perfect example of why the Clippers can't put an opponent away and have just five wins.

If it wasn't the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers would have lost again. Instead, they won 82-78 with a putrid effort in front of 11,380 at the Anaheim Arena.

The Clippers were simply pathetic after taking a 33-13 first quarter lead. After that they scored just 49 points, made 16 of 56 shots (28 percent) and only a missed putback by Joe Smith with 18 seconds left prevented the listless Warriors from tying the game.

The Clippers survived behind 23 points by Barry (remember he had 17 in the first quarter) and a career-high 17 rebounds by Lorenzen Wright. But this can't be encouraging for a team facing a four-game road swing starting Saturday, a team that had hoped to thrust into Minnesota with a dominant victory.

``I haven't seen play like that in the WNBA,'' said Barry, who led the Clippers with four assists. ``I didn't know what we were doing out there sometimes. We were able to win though and that's the most important thing.''

Scoring 33 in the first quarter and just making 80 is the kind of play that has made the Clippers one of the NBA's worst teams. They owned a 77-70 lead with three minutes left before two Smith jumpers made it interesting. The Clippers never trailed but had that 21-point lead trimmed to under five several times.

It was typical of the Clippers this season. They held a 22-point first-half lead against Sacramento last month only to win by just two. They've had four recent leads blown in the fourth quarter. So the question is whether they actually held one on Thursday or was it the horrible Warriors that made it possible.

``I think right after the game you think about it,'' Barry said. ``But when it's over and you're at home, you think of it as just a win. That's what we needed.''

Desperation was the theme. The Clippers realized a team on their level was finally on the schedule and a win was mandatory if they are to even approach 10 wins before February.

``We need a win as badly as possible,'' guard Eric Piatkowski said before the game. ``We're desperate and we have to win this game. This is a team we think we can beat. We're at home, we play well here and we need it.''

Wright's desire was obvious. Sporting a shiner under his left eye from a Sam Perkins elbow on Tuesday, Wright continued his domination of the boards. His 17 raised his team-leading average to 7.1; he also contributed a career-high five blocks.

``Lorenzen's one of the hardest workers I've dealt with,'' Clippers coach Bill Fitch said. ``He doesn't have all the natural talent, but he makes up for it with hard work. That's what I like about him.''

It's been a frustrating stretch for the Clippers. They had lost four straight before Thursday's game and fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division.

It didn't help that the Warriors, who were supposed to be pathetic without Latrell Sprewell, had won four of six to become somewhat respectable. Golden State had even won four straight at home, something the Clippers could only dream about with a 3-10 record at the Sports Arena and Anaheim.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: BARRY

Box: GAME RECAP