CLIPPERS MAKE THE WRIGHT MOVE : MILWAUKEE 102, CLIPPERS 94.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

It took just one more slow start for Bill Fitch to do what he really didn't want to.

A 102-94 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night in front of 4,300 at the Sports Arena was the Clippers' sixth defeat in seven games. The cause was another horrible first half. The result was a lineup change.

The Clippers spotted Milwaukee an 18-point lead and tried desperately to come back. They drew to within three, but a dominating second half wasn't enough to overcome their sluggish start.

So the Stojko Vrankovic experiment is over. Fitch, the Clippers' coach, announced after the game that the Croatian center, who played 12 listless minutes and continues to fade in the team's up-tempo style, will go to the bench.

Lorenzen Wright will start at center Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.

It's a necessary measure. Wright is the best center the Clippers have, and a four-game road trip to the South is crucial. Four losses would put this 1-6 team in an insurmountable hole.

The Clippers need some kind of spark at the beginning - a spark Wright provided in the second half Thursday night - to at least stay in the game. Wright had eight points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes.

Against Houston last week, the Clippers were down 17 at halftime. Phoenix jumped out to a 20-point lead on Saturday. And Milwaukee led 58-40 at the break.

``We need a quicker lineup with more life,'' Fitch said. ``Lorenzen gives us that edge and Stojko may be more comfortable coming off the bench.''

Changes are needed. The Clippers were pathetic on defense in the first half, allowing Glenn Robinson to score 23 points while his teammates found the hoop with easy buckets.

The Bucks' trap forced the Clippers into their half-court offense, something difficult to execute when Vrankovic stands stiffly in the middle.

The Clippers acquired him to get rebounds and play decent defense. He does provide more of a presence than Stanley Roberts, who probably would have been on the injured list by now. But it's not enough to deter anybody from taking the ball inside.

Fitch wanted Wright to play forward, but Rodney Rogers (18 points) and Lamond Murray (season-high 25) are doing a good job holding those positions. And Maurice Taylor, who missed the game while attending to his grandmother, who was injured in an auto accident in Detroit, is also playing well.

So it's back to center for the second-year Wright. Keith Closs, despite possessing an $8.5 million contract, is only 21 and not ready to start, although he could see increased minutes.

``I have said before that I'll play anything,'' said Wright, who is averaging 7.2 points and 7.4 rebounds as a reserve. ``The team needs a win and we have to respond.''

The Clippers play their best when running the break. In the second half, they played good half-court defense, which sped up the tempo. Murray got help on Robinson, who finished with 32 points but scored just nine in the second half.

``We can't keep saying, `Wow, we were down big but came back,' '' Murray said. ``The bottom line is that we still lost. We need to run and get easy baskets. We can't be up 10 and start slowing things down. That's not our game. I think we know that by now.''

A 13-2 run to start the second half put the Clippers within reach. But after they drew to within 95-91 with 40.8 left, Darrick Martin missed two free throws; that extinguished any chance to steal the victory.

It's been a difficult season for Martin, who continues to slump from the field and struggle to with his confidence. Fitch is keeping the backcourt intact with Martin and Brent Barry, who registered a season-low five points.

The second half did prove that a smaller lineup is effective against more physical teams. Milwaukee countered with big bodies Tyrone Hill and Ervin Johnson, but neither had his way against Wright.

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Photo

Photo: Rodney Rogers of the Clippers, right, is hounded by Milwaukee's Tyrone Hill under the basket in L.A.'s 102-94 defeat. Clippers fell to 1-6.

John Lazar / Special to the Daily News