Clippers Fall Apart in Stretch

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch looked up at the rafters and let out a sigh.

He had every right to be upset after watching his team self-destruct in an 83-79 loss to the Orlando Magic Saturday night before 8,757 at the Sports Arena.

“It was ugly basketball,” Fitch said after the Clippers missed 10 of 15 shots in the final quarter.

Leading, 71-68, with 9:02 remaining, the Clippers rolled over and played dead, failing to score for 8:40 as they lost for the 15th time in 18 games.

The Clippers, who missed eight of their first 10 shots, had a season-worst 18 turnovers, including 10 in the fourth quarter, which the Magic turned into 11 points.

“It’s like you’re walking down the street and just keep tripping,” said forward Lamond Murray, who had 14 points and a team-best nine rebounds. “Turnovers killed us. Once it got rolling, it kept on going.”

The Magic’s halfcourt defense seemed to confuse the Clippers in the fourth quarter.

“They started to deny the point guards the ball,” said Murray, who had two turnovers in the final quarter. “They put two men on the point guard and somebody else had to bring the ball up.”

Fitch said the Clippers should have been prepared for the Magic’s halfcourt defense.

“It’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” he said. “We see it every day in practice.”

But just when they were ready to pronounce the last rites, the Clippers, who had only 18 points in the final quarter, outscored the Magic 8-2 in the final 23 seconds and were only down by two, 81-79, on a dunk by Murray with 1.4 seconds remaining.

Forced to foul to get the ball back, Darrick Martin fouled Darrell Armstrong, who made two free throws as the Magic won for the eighth time in 12 road games.

Magic forward Horace Grant, activated before the game after sitting out five games because of a calf muscle injury, had 25 points and nine rebounds. Gerald Wilkins scored 21 points.

Guard Pooh Richardson made a jump shot with 21.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter to tie it, 65-65, going into the final quarter.

“There’s nothing I can say about the fourth quarter, you all saw it,” Fitch said.

Forward Bo Outlaw, who rejected a multiyear offer from the Clippers to sign a two-year contract with the Magic last September, missed five of six shots and had two points and four rebounds.

Fitch, who said Outlaw was his favorite player, was happy to see him return.

“He doesn’t owe me any money,” Fitch said of Outlaw.

Outlaw, who shot a career-best 61% last season, came into the game leading the NBA in field-goal percentage (63.2%).

“It doesn’t surprise me because he doesn’t take bad shots,” Fitch said.

But Outlaw missed all three shots he took in the first half.

“I’ve still got friends here,” he said. “I played here and these guys are my friends. I’m not going to throw that out the window just because I changed teams.

“Everybody makes changes. Why can’t I make one? I made the decision. It’s over. I’m just hoping that people can accept it.”

The Clipper bench, which outscored the San Antonio Spur reserves, 51-10, in last Thursday night’s 100-96 overtime victory, outscored the Magic reserves, 26-4, in the first half as the Clippers took a 44-39 lead into the break.

Martin made two three-point shots in 11 minutes and had six points in the half.

Murray had six points and six rebounds in 12 minutes. Reserve center Keith Closs had five points, four rebounds and one blocked shot in 12 minutes.

Reserve forward Maurice Taylor, who had a career-best 17 points in his last game, had six points and two rebounds.