Clippers Enjoy This Drama on the Court : Pro basketball: They rally from 17-point deficit to defeat Lakers, 105-102, at Sports Arena. Divac misses two shots at tie.

Problems? What problems?

The Clippers, trailing by 17 points in the second quarter and 11 midway through the third, awoke with a roar Thursday night and rallied to defeat the Lakers, 105-102, before 15,356 at the Sports Arena.

One game doesn’t make a return to form. But it wasn’t bad for starters.

“It felt like old times,” Stanley Roberts said after getting 17 points on eight-of-11 shooting and nine rebounds. “It felt like the beginning of the season.”

Well, not exactly. In the beginning, the Lakers defeated the Clippers at the Sports Arena in an emotional game. This time, the setting was similar--loud fans and a close game--but the ending was different.

The Clippers took the lead for good at 100-98 on Roberts’ basket with 1:06 remaining. But it came down to the very end, when the Clippers had a 105-102 advantage after Mark Jackson made one of two free throws with 9.4 seconds left.

The Lakers had two shots at a tie and overtime, the only problem being that both three-pointers were by Vlade Divac. Both were off target, the second a desperation at the buzzer after Divac intercepted a pass by Ken Norman about 30 feet out.

That gave the Clippers something to talk about besides controversy and sent the Lakers to their ninth loss in 12 games.

“I think it was unfortunate the last couple days there was so much talk about the problems the Clippers were involved in,” Laker Coach Randy Pfund said. “This is a game L.A. fans should be excited about--two teams both struggling to gain consistency.”

In the end, neither gained it. But the Clippers had gained a victory to climb over .500 at 18-17.

Byron Scott picked a good opponent for his return after missing the last five games, and 23 overall, because of a sore right foot. He had 29 points and the winning basket in overtime to help the Lakers win at the Sports Arena in the season opener, then had 17 points in the Clippers’ Nov. 13 victory at the Forum.

A.C. Green again started at shooting guard, essentially giving the Lakers three forwards and a center in the opening lineup. But Scott entered with 5:20 remaining in the first quarter and made his first shot, an open 16-footer from the right side, to help build a 13-point lead. The Clippers, down by 20 in four of their previous five outings, were again in a hole.

The advantage became 15, 48-33, when Elden Campbell, on the Lakers’ second offensive rebound and third shot of the possession, converted a free throw for a three-point play. The next time the lead went to 15, 50-35, they did it again by pounding the offensive boards before Sam Perkins cashed in the fourth shot. The advantage reached 17 at 54-37.

By halftime, the Lakers had a 60-51 cushion and were outshooting the Clippers, 57%-46%. That stood up for a 79-69 lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, or before the Clippers stood up to be counted.

With a furious charge, the Clippers evened the game, 81-81, at the end of the quarter, scoring on their final seven possessions. The rally was capped by the most improbable score of all: John Williams grabbing Ron Harper’s miss and, while heading from right to left, shooting the ball back against his body. The shot dropped in at the buzzer, accounting for the tie and change of momentum.

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Notes

Even before some fans sided against him in the trade/no trade controversy, Danny Manning had a popularity problem. He is the fourth-leading scorer among Western Conference forwards behind only superstars Chris Mullin, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley and is among the best shot blocking forwards in the league, but Manning was not even in the top 10 in early returns for balloting for the All-Star game. “That tells you a little bit about the respect the club gets,” Coach Larry Brown said. “It’s hard for me to comment with the club playing so bad, but that’s scary. But, without question, I believe the coaches will put him on.” If so, Manning would be the first Clipper All-Star since Marques Johnson in 1986. Stanley Roberts is the only Clipper in the top 10, and he is ninth among centers.

Ron Harper, when asked if having seven Clippers possibly in the last year of their contracts is a distraction: “The contracts are going to bother people. No doubt. We’re human. We’ve got cash on the line. We’ve got big money out there. We’re only human.” . . . The Clippers are expected to sign Duane Washington to a 10-day contract before tonight’s game at Seattle to replace Jaren Jackson, who broke his right ankle Tuesday against Houston and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Not to be confused with former Syracuse star Dwayne (Pearl) Washington, he has been with Rockford of the Continental Basketball Assn. . . . John Williams, who missed two games because of a sprained right arch, returned for the Clippers.

* KING SUSPENDED

Forward Bernard King of the Washington Bullets, attempting a comeback after being sidelined since the 1990-91 season, was suspended for four days for conduct detrimental to the team. C6

* NBA ROUNDUP

Karl Malone scores 38 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 96-89 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics. C6