Notes on a Scorecard - March 10, 1992

Clipper Coach Larry Brown apparently plans to stick around for a while. He has bought a house in Manhattan Beach. . . .

The Clippers were Ernie (Let’s Play Two) Banks’ kind of team Sunday. . . .

They hadn’t played two games in one night, but they had played three in four nights--and had come up big in the final couple of minutes. . . .

“Great, just great,” said Banks, the former Mr. Cub who was visiting the Clipper locker room after their 97-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Sports Arena. “This team is fun to watch.” . . .

Watching is what Charles Smith has done mostly the last few weeks, but it hasn’t been much fun for him. . . .

“To say that it has been frustrating would be an understatement,” said Smith, who sat out the first nine games of the Brown regime because of a sore knee and was permitted to play only part time the next five games. “In the second half tonight, I was telling Bo Kimble on the bench how much I wanted to get back in there.” . . .

Smith was back in at crunch time and responded with a block of a shot by Tim Hardaway, then made a slam dunk with 31 seconds to play that gave the Clippers the first of their two leads during the fourth quarter. . . .

“It’s been a slow process with the knee,” said Smith, the 6-foot-10 forward who led the team in scoring and blocked shots last season. “I’ve still got a ways to go. But maybe I’ll be able to contribute when it means the most.” . . .

Asked what he is doing now, Hall of Famer Banks replied, “Enjoying life.” He plans to begin work on a master’s degree in business administration at USC next semester. . . .

For the first time in Los Angeles, there were two NBA sellouts in one day--15,800 at the Sports Arena and 17,505 at the Forum for the Lakers and Pistons. . . .

Chuck Daly coached the Pistons to victory over the Lakers and then took a seat in the front row at the Sports Arena next to his friend Al Davis. Was Daly scouting Danny Manning as a possible addition to the U.S. Olympic team? . . .

NBC’s Magic Johnson said Sunday that his old team often has lacked emotion this season. . . .

Brown on the Clipper-Laker battle for a playoff spot: “It’s not just between our two teams. Seattle and Houston are involved, too. We’ve got to focus on ourselves, not the Lakers. We’ve got to develop our own style and our own fans.”

Louisiana Tech has another NBA forward prospect, Ron Ellis. The question is whether he will be the next Karl Malone or the next Randy White. . . .

Making some sweet music on the basketball court are Tony Martin of Arkansas Little Rock and Tony Bennett of Wisconsin Green Bay. . . .

Channel 13 commentator Bill Walton after a foul was called on rough New York Knick forward Charles Oakley: “That’s always a safe call. When there is a collision, call it on Oakley.” . . .

It hurts to watch Bo Jackson try to run. . . .

When is Deion Sanders going to pick one sport? . . .

The $30.5-million contract the Chicago Cubs gave Ryne Sandberg is meager compared to what they refused to give up in television revenue when they vetoed realignment to the National League West. . . .

Some of my fondest memories of spring training are of watching the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League work out at a faraway place called La Palma Park in Anaheim.

Poor free-throw shooters tend to miss the first attempt and make the second. . . .

USC basketball Coach George Raveling will be honored at the Sportstime dinner, a benefit for the Venice Family Clinic, April 16 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel. Among those on the dais will be fellow coaches Mike Krzyzewski, John Thompson, Roy Williams, Lefty Driesell, Dale Brown, Abe Lemons, Lou Carnesecca and P.J. Carlesimo. . . .

Illinois Coach Lou Henson suggests that the NCAA adapt the NBA’s 24-second clock in the last few minutes of games. . . .

Utah Coach Rick Majerus has become a strong possibility to succeed Jerry Tarkanian at Nevada Las Vegas. . . .

Chi Chi Rodriguez was a lot more graceful in defeat than Bruce Crampton was in victory Sunday after the $450,000 GTE West Classic at Ojai. . . .

Cory Snyder is working at five different positions--left and right field, third base, shortstop, and first base--for the San Francisco Giants during spring training. . . .

Wally Joyner will bat third for the Kansas City Royals. . . .

Remember when Jose Canseco’s contract was considered outrageous? . . .

It can’t be too long before Herschel Walker enters the Iditarod.