Clipper Homecoming Party Turns Ice Cold

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch was at a loss for words after watching his team lose its third consecutive game, 108-93, to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night before an announced 7,233 at the Sports Arena.

“I’m speechless, guys,” Fitch said after the Clippers scored only 38 points in the second half. “I’m not used to seeing us do so many things bad in one night.”

The Clippers, who won three of five games on a just-concluded 10-day trip, seemed flat, shooting 37%.

“It looked like we were just glad to be home,” Fitch said of the Clippers, who were playing at the Sports Arena for the first time since Dec. 30.

Rookie center Lorenzen Wright missed seven of eight shots, guard Brent Barry missed all five and forward Lamond Murray was 0 for 6.

Center Dwayne Schintzius missed six of eight shots and swingman Eric Piatkowski missed seven of 10.

“It was a tough night for everybody, the ball just wasn’t going in,” Wright said. “You have those type of nights where you can’t hit anything and nothing will fall, and tonight was the night for us. We got that out of the way, so now it’s time for us to pick ourselves up and go out and play hard the next game.”

“We were getting open shots but they just weren’t falling, which is surprising because we’ve been shooting the ball well lately,” Piatkowski said. “On nights like tonight, your defense has to pick you up, but tonight ours definitely didn’t.”

Forward Rodney Rogers, who shot only 25% in his last four games, made four of six shots and had 10 points in the first quarter before spraining his right ankle.

Rogers returned after having the ankle retaped, but scored only two points in the final three quarters.

“I didn’t play that much after I hurt my ankle,” Rogers said. “I came back in the second quarter and the third quarter and that was it, it wasn’t my ankle.”

Guard Darrick Martin, forward Loy Vaught and swingman Bo Outlaw were among the few Clippers who played well.

Martin, who played 21 minutes because Pooh Richardson sat out the game because of an ankle injury, had 15 points and one assist. Vaught, averaging 12.5 points and 10.8 rebounds, had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Outlaw had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes as a reserve.

Pacer guard Reggie Miller became the second player in NBA history to record 1,300 three-point shots when he made a three-pointer in the second quarter. Miller, who has 1,302 three-pointers (53 behind Denver’s Dale Ellis), made four of eight from distance and had 25 points as the Pacers (17-18) ended a two-game losing streak.

Larry Brown, who coached the Clippers to back-to-back playoff appearances in 1992-93, faced his old team for the first time this season.

Brown says Fitch has done a good job with the Clippers, who are in contention for their first playoff berth since Brown fled.

“I think Bill has done a great job,” Brown said. “I’ve said that every year since I’ve been back. The young guys are getting better and they play hard and they play with a lot of enthusiasm, and I think that’s the key on any level.

“I don’t enjoy playing against the Clippers. I enjoy coming back to L.A. and I enjoy coming in this building because I had a wonderful experience here, as I did at UCLA, and my wife’s from here, but I don’t enjoy playing against this franchise.”

Will Brown ever coach the Clippers again?

“I’ll come back to California, but I don’t know what my future holds,” Brown said. “We have a house here and I love it here, but I’m happy doing what I’m doing and I want to do a good job with Indiana, that’s my goal.”