DONE IN DOWN THE STRETCH CLIPPERS OUTSCORED 30-14 IN FOURTH SEATTLE 84, CLIPPERS 78.Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer Look out below. The Clippers are falling fast. After being blown out in their two previous games, the Clippers had a chance to get back on track and, in the third quarter Sunday, looked headed that way. They led by 15 points with 1:12 left in the third, but then endured a slow, dark fourth quarter in which the Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. boo birds came out again. The Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (or simply Sonics) are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their mascot's name is Squatch. recovered from their 15-point deficit to win 84-78 in front of 15,189. Gary Payton
It was the Clippers' third consecutive loss. In the fourth quarter, they shot just 4 of 24 (16.7 percent) from the field and 5 of 11 (45.5 percent) from the free-throw line free-throw line n. See foul line. . They finished with 19 turnovers. ``For the most part, we played really good,'' Clippers coach Alvin Gentry Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball coach, and college basketball player, who has led three different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers. said. ``We played well and executed great.'' Gentry was not joking. The coach went on to explain that the Clippers (3-7) did falter down the stretch and that the team lacks confidence during crunch time. ``We're feeling the pressure of expectations,'' Gentry said. ``We've just got to relax and play, especially down the stretch. We've got to believe we're a good-enough team to win games like this. We've been such a good home team the last couple of years, and we're struggling at home.'' The Clippers led 64-49 with 1:12 left in the third quarter, after Elton Brand Elton Tyron Brand (born March 11, 1979 in Peekskill, New York) is an American All-Star professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers and the USA National Team. made a shot off a tip. Then the trouble came as Seattle trailed 64-54 heading into the fourth quarter. After Brand's tip, the Sonics had a 22-3 run to take a 71-67 lead with 4:42 left. Mason came alive in that span, scoring all 10 of his fourth- quarter points. Plus, the Clippers were missing open shots and making foolish decisions on offense. Their only points during the run came on a jump shot by Sean Rooks Sean Lester Rooks (born September 9 1969 in New York City) is a retired American basketball player at the center position in the National Basketball Association. He attended the University of Arizona and was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. and free throw by Brand. Gentry pointed to a lack of confidence down the stretch, and Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born April 3 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria), nicknamed The Kandi Man is a Nigerian professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He currently is a free agent. was asked if that was the problem. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. about confidence,'' Olowokandi said. ``It's decision making. There is absolutely no excuse to be up by 15 in the third quarter and lose a basketball game. The decisions we made down on the offensive end were very questionable.'' Seattle (8-2) is surprisingly atop the Pacific Division standings, and its starting front line, which includes Predrag Drobnjak Predrag Drobnjak (Предград Дробњак) (born October 27 1975) is a Montenegrin professional basketball player currently with Akasvayu Girona [1] and Vladimir Radmanovic, is not regarded as especially talented. Brand and Olowokandi had favorable matchups down low, and the Clippers outscored the Sonics 44-26 in the paint. Brand responded with 19 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. But Olowokandi rarely touched the ball on offense. He had eight points and 13 rebounds but only shot the ball five times. Did the center think he had an advantage against Seattle? ``I thought I did,'' Olowokandi said. ``Elton did. But we went to other plays and ran some other plays. And it is what it is.'' After Seattle had its monstrous 22-3 run and grabbed the game's momentum, the Clippers didn't quit. But they never led in the final 4:42 and were hurt by poor free-throw shooting. They made just 4 of 9 free throws in the final 4:42 and constantly missed opportunities to pull closer. Andre Miller missed 3 of 6 free throws down the stretch, but made a 3-point shot with 49.1 seconds left to pull the Clippers to 79-78. The Sonics responded with a running jump shot by Rashard Lewis with 29.7 seconds left, but on the Clippers' next possession, Eric Piatkowski missed a jump shot. ``It was a different team out there in the fourth quarter,'' Brand said of the Clippers. Payton finished with 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds but wasn't especially effective until the fourth quarter. ``I thought we were pretty good defensively,'' Gentry said. ``We defended Gary as well as we've defended him in a long time.'' CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: Corey Maggette misses a dunk attempt in the fourth quarter as the Clippers squandered squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. a 15-point lead with 1:12 left in the third. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer Box: (1) GAME RECAP (2) CLIPPERS vs. GOLDEN STATE |
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