Vaught Goes From Low to High in Clipper Win

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch sensed forward Loy Vaught might be in for a big game after he played a season-low 14 minutes in Thursday night’s victory over the Seattle SuperSonics before fouling out.

“Loy should be well-rested, so he should have a good game tonight,” Fitch said.

Vaught, who failed to score against Seattle, had a season-high 31 points, two shy of his career high, and the Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets, 114-111, Friday night before an announced 6,074 at the Sports Arena.

“Vaught was big tonight,” Fitch said. “He really made some big shots, I’m really proud of his work. He made a lot of big plays and that’s the mark of a pro.”

The Clippers, who led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, almost blew it as the Nuggets closed to 105-103 on Dale Ellis’ three-point shot with 2:49 remaining.

But Vaught dunked and Brent Barry, who matched his season high with 17 points, made a follow shot, a three-point shot and two free throws as the Clippers built a 114-108 lead with 6.1 seconds remaining.

“I was just happy to be in a ballgame at the end, but sometimes we make things too hairy for ourselves,” Barry said.

However, the Clippers did their best to give it away.

Former Clipper guard Mark Jackson made a three-point shot with 2.3 seconds remaining and the Nuggets got the ball back when Rodney Rogers threw away an inbounds pass intended for Malik Sealy, but LaPhonso Ellis missed a desperation three-point shot as the game ended.

“I’m going to send a fax telling our scouts that our number-one priority is to find someone who can take the ball out of bounds,” Fitch said.

Maybe the Clippers should play all of their games in the dark.

The Clippers, who beat the Vancouver Grizzlies in double overtime after a lightning strike knocked out the lights at GM Place in Vancouver last November, shot a season-high 68.8% in the third quarter after a power surge knocked out the Sports Arena lights with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter.

“We’ve got practice playing in the dark,” Fitch said.

Referee Joe Forte met with Nugget Coach Dick Motta and Fitch at midcourt and the coaches decided to resume play after a 4 1/2-minute delay under the dimmer regular lighting system until the basketball lighting system, which needs 12 minutes to cool down after being shut down, came back on.

Shooting in the dark didn’t bother Dale Ellis, who made six of nine shots in the third quarter--including four three-point baskets--and had 16 of his 27 points in the quarter.

Swingman Charles Outlaw, the Clippers’ best defensive player, had his best offensive game of the season, getting a season-high 18 points as the Clippers beat the Nuggets for the second time in two games this season.

“Anybody can play offense, but not everybody can play defense,” Outlaw said. “If I want to shoot it, I shoot it, and it went in. Everybody can score regularly.”