NBA ROUNDUP: CLIPPERS' LOSING STREAK REACHES A DREADFUL DOZEN.

Byline: Associated Press 

The Atlanta Hawks dealt the winless and injury-ravaged Clippers their 12th consecutive loss as Grant Long's 15 points keyed a 103-74 victory Saturday night at the Pond in Anaheim.

Mookie Blaylock added 13 points and 10 assists for the Hawks, who extended their winning streak against the Clippers to nine games.

Dikembe Mutombo, hampered by a fractured nasal bone and an abrasion on his left eye, finished with 11 pointd 11 rebounds. After the warmups, Mutombo put on a flimsy nose guard that was held in place by a piece of tape. But he discarded it before the opening tip.

One night after shooting a club record-low 29 percent from the field against the Lakers, the Clippers shot 39 percent against the NBA's best defensive team and made only eight shots from 15 feet or more. Reserve Tyrone Nesby scored a team-high 17 points.

It was the third game in three nights for the beleaguered Clippers, who lost forward Maurice Taylor on Thursday with a sprained right knee and No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi on Friday because of a sprained left ankle that forced him onto the injured list.

The worst start in NBA history is by the 1988-89 Miami Heat, which lost the first 17 games of its inaugural season before beating the Clippers in Los Angeles.

The Hawks broke the game open with a 19-4 run in the first 7-1/2 minutes of the third quarter, fueled by Tyrone Corbin's five perimeter jumpers, which gave them a 62lead. The Clippers did not trail by fewer than 27 points in the fourth quarter.

To put the Clippers' woes in historical perspective during this lockout-shortened 50-game season, the Philadelphia 76ers won only four of their

first 50 games in 1972-73 when their 9-73 record established an NBA futility mark that still stands. Denver won only five of its first 50 games last season under Bill Hanzlik.

Chicago 94, Charlotte 77: Toni Kukoc led four players in double figures with 16 points as the Bulls (3-10) earned their first home win of the season, beating the 2-9 Hornets.

Boston 101, New Jersey 92: Antoine Walker scored 11 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics handed the host Nets their sixth straight loss.

Dallas 97, Sacramento 90: Gary Trent scored a career-high 29 points and hauled down 16 rebounds, helping the host Mavericks to their fourth victory in the last six games. Former USC player Robert Pack added 21 points for Dallas.

Portland 82, Washon 81: Jim Jackson, starting in place of suspended guard Isaiah Rider, sank a 21-foot jumper with 39.4 seconds remaining to give the Trail Blazers a road victory.

Rider, the Blazers' leading scorer, was suspended without pay for one game and fined $2,500 by the NBA for leaving the bench during an altercation Friday night at Charlotte.

Houston 86, Vancouver 74: Scottie Pippen scored 12 of his 18 points in the third quarter for the visiting Rockets, who play at the Forum against the Lakers today.