The Defense Rests in 123-105 Clipper Loss : Pro basketball: Golden State runs, guns its way to an easy victory at the Sports Arena.

Doc Rivers’ left hand is in a cast, Olden Polynice has a sore back, Charles Smith a recovering knee, Bo Kimble a bad foot, Ron Harper got kneed in the right thigh and Ken Norman is working back in after a bad case of bronchitis.

The list grows. Saturday night at the Sports Arena, the Clippers added a collective case of whiplash, the result of taking an early lead and then watching the Golden State Warriors blow past them, 123-105, before 11,485.

The Clippers’ once-promising start is a memory. They lost for the third time in a row and for the fourth time in five games. Once 4-1 and on the verge of the best opening in franchise history, they are 5-5 and have back-to-back meetings with the Portland Trail Blazers next.

They played against one of the NBA’s most porous defensive teams, the Warriors (7-2) having begun the night allowing 112 points per game.

The Clippers, losing for the first time at home after four victories, reached triple figures for the first time in three games but still have failed to shoot better than 42% in four of the last five outings.

They gave up more points than they have all season, 14 more than against the Lakers on Nov. 5.

“We knew they were capable of doing that, especially if they find a team that’s not shooting well,” Clipper Coach Mike Schuler said. “A lot of times, a shot becomes the first pass for the other team’s fast break.”

Said Loy Vaught, who had 12 rebounds and 11 points: “Basketball is a game of surges. You have to be able to answer, and we did not do that. The defense is not playing like it was when we were red-hot. It’s not carrying us like before.”

The Clippers dominated at the start. That became a problem when they dominated only at the start.

For 4 1/2 minutes, they were nearly perfect, getting a 9-0 lead as Golden State went nine possessions before Chris Mullin’s jump shot. They were still rolling halfway through the quarter, 15-6, and in control, 17-9, with 4:46 left.

Next thing you know. . . .

The Warriors tied it, 17-17, less than two minutes later, fell behind, 25-17, and then played catch-up for the last time. Golden State, 5-1 on the road, charged to a 40-30 cushion when Rod Higgins scored 12 of his 16 first-half points in a 2:41 stretch.

“From that point on,” Schuler said, “they pretty much had their way with us.”

The Warriors made 13 of 22 shots (59.1%) in the second quarter and outscored the Clippers, 33-19. Golden State went into intermission with a 58-46 lead and 47.9% accuracy. Respectable, but after missing their first eight shots of the game the Warriors went 23 of 40 (57.5%) the rest of the half.

“It changed real quick,” Golden State’s Tim Hardaway said of the momentum. “They (the Clippers) came out real fired up. We knew they would be fired up because they got beat good here by us during the exhibition season. They were making shots. They were up by 10 or 12. But Chris hit that first shot, and we were off.”

The Warriors didn’t let up in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 73-54, and then 81-60, when Hardaway blew through the defense for a layup with four minutes remaining. It was 91-72 heading into the final quarter, and Mullin already had all 20 of his points and Hardaway 18 of his 23.

Clipper Notes

Olden Polynice spoke with Coach Mike Schuler and said his complaints about playing time and rotation are history. “We talked and it’s over,” said Polynice, outspoken after Thursday’s loss at Dallas. One player said Schuler addressed the issue in general during the Saturday afternoon shoot-around, and that future derogatory comments to the media or in public about team matters may be followed with a $5,000 fine. Schuler said the subject came up but said there was no mention of $5,000. . . . No one would have imagined it coming into the season, but the Warriors have out-rebounded six of their nine opponents. Two seasons ago, they did only 10 times.

Medical update: Ken Norman, who missed the previous two games because of bronchitis, returned to action and had 20 points and seven rebounds. “I’m not one to lose conditioning real quick, so I don’t think that will be a problem at all,” he said. Charles Smith, coming back from arthroscopic knee surgery, continues toward a scheduled return of early December. He should begin jogging sometime next week and, if that goes well, may start practicing in another week. Bo Kimble is also still on the original timetable, with strength and conditioning coordinator Carl Horne saying Kimble, out since summer with a stress reaction in his left foot, could be activated by mid-December, if all goes well.