CLIPPERS LOSS TO WARRIORS A WIN FOR TEAM : GOLDEN STATE 92, CLIPPERS 80.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

And the winner is Golden State . . . and the Clippers.

Both teams got what they needed Wednesday, when the Warriors defeated the Clippers 92-80 before 8,477 at the Sports Arena.

The Warriors desperately needed a victory. They must not finish with one of the NBA's top three draft picks, or it automatically goes to Orlando, as part of the infamous Chris Webber-Penny Hardaway trade.

As for the Clippers, they needed the loss. It helps their chances of being the league's second-worst team, which would mean the No. 2 pick in the draft barring a lottery surprise.

Not that they were actually thinking about this, or doing any celebrating afterward.

``It's too soon after a ballgame,'' Clippers coach Bill Fitch said. ``I'm just a poor loser. To me, all of these ball games, you go in expecting to win.''

With the victory, Golden State cheerfully became the league's fourth-worst team (17-63), just ahead of the Clippers (16-64) and Toronto (16-63).

The Warriors could thank the Clippers for shooting just 37.8 percent from the field. L.A. made just 19 of 63 shots in the final three quarters (30 percent).

Perhaps the sorry state of the game was best illustrated by the woeful second quarter. The Clippers were 5 for 21 from the field while the Warriors were 4 for 21. The Clippers followed that up by going 7 for 22 in the third and fourth quarters.

``Looking at these shooting percentages, you would think we never had shooting drills,'' Fitch said. ``You've got to shoot better than 37 percent in this league.''

Rookie forward Maurice Taylor played 22 minutes but was clearly hurting after cutting his right hand Monday night while working on a lamp. The cut required seven stitches, and Taylor said he was bothered the whole game. He made only five of 15 shots.

``I couldn't feel the ball,'' Taylor said. ``Every time I would flick my hand, the stitches would pull away.''

Taylor's now worried about infecting the cut because doctors told him after the game that sweat could increase the chances for infection.

Taylor said he wasn't sure if he would be able to play tonight against Portland.

``The way I shot tonight I don't know how effective I'd be,'' he said.

Notes: Clippers coach Bill Fitch acknowledged that one of the team's top priorities next season will be to improve the point guard position. However, unless the Clippers can land Arizona's Mike Bibby, it is not a draft deep in point guards, or anything else.