Clippers Activate Nixon, Then Deactivate Him : In Between, Los Angeles Loses to the San Antonio Spurs in Overtime, 124-120

Norm Nixon, the Clippers injured star guard, was activated by the Clippers before Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.

However, Nixon, who hasn’t been given medical clearance to play after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left knee last July, was placed back on the injured list at 11:20 p.m.

The Clippers then signed rookie forward Steffond Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Meanwhile, the Clippers lost to the Spurs, 124-120, in overtime before an announced crowd of 6,590 at the Sports Arena.

With the Clippers trailing, 114-111, Los Angeles guard Darnell Valentine hit a 30-foot, three-point shot with three seconds left in the fourth period to send the game into overtime tied at 114-114.

Valentine tied his career-high by scoring 24 points before fouling out, and he matched his career-high with 15 assists. He also had a career-high 5 steals.

However, the Spurs outscored the Clippers, 10-6, in the five-minute overtime period to win their third straight game. San Antonio has a 14-29 record, third worst in the National Basketball Assn. The Clippers have the worst mark in the NBA (6-37).

The Spurs’ Alvin Robertson scored six points and made two key steals in overtime, and ex-UCLA star David Greenwood had four points and a blocked shot.

Robertson, an All-Star guard, finished with a game-high 25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

Robertson gave the Spurs a 116-114 lead when he dunked off a steal. After Valentine tied it at 116-116 with a 17-foot jumper, Greenwood scored on two straight tap-ins to give the Spurs a 120-116 lead with 2:44 left in overtime.

The Clippers got within two points when Rory White scored on an 8-foot jumper in the key, but Robertson hit a pair of jumpers to give the Spurs a 124-118 lead.

Valentine scored on a 17-footer with 50 seconds left for the final margin.

Los Angeles forward Michael Cage scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Center Benoit Benjamin had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

Rookie forward Walter Berry scored 22 points for San Antonio, while guard Jon Sunvold scored 19 points and had 5 assists. The Clippers, who suited up just 10 players for the game against San Antonio, took Nixon off the injured list to fill the spot left on the roster when they traded forward / center Kurt Nimphius to Detroit for two draft picks on Thursday.

Under NBA rules, teams are required to have 11 players on their active roster.

The Clippers had hoped to sign free-agent forward Sam Williams. However the deal fell through so they had activated Nixon.

After activating Nixon, Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor said: “I don’t want people thinking that he (Nixon) will be suited up. We’re just doing it so we can have 11 players on the active roster.

“He doesn’t have to suit up, and he doesn’t have to play. I do everything by the rules. I sent a telex to the league about it. Once we find someone, we’ll put Norm back on the injured list.

“We’re not trying to dupe the public or pull the wool over anyone eyes.”

Baylor said that if the Clippers had signed a player after trading Nimphius, they would have had to sign him for the entire season because of league rules.

However, by activating Nixon, they were able to sign Johnson after putting Nixon on the injured list again.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers never were able to reach Kurt Nimphius Thursday afternoon to tell him he’d been traded to Detroit, although they left several messages on his answering machine. Nimphius said he wound up hearing that he’d been traded after listening to a radio broadcast Thursday night. “I found out about it at 9 o’clock last night,” Nimphius said Friday from his apartment in Marina del Rey as he was packing to go to Detroit. “I had heard rumors that I was going to be traded, but I talked to (Clipper assistant coach) Don Casey after practice Thursday, and he told me that everything was on hold. I went out with my parents to a trailer park, so I never heard about it until after I had finished eating dinner. “I was surprised,” Nimphius continued. “I didn’t think I’d be traded this season. But I think it’s a great career move. I like L.A., but job-wise it wasn’t too good.” Nimphius said he will fly to Detroit today and take his physical exam Sunday. He hopes to be in uniform Monday night. . . . The Clippers open a two-game trip tonight against the Utah Jazz. They play in Denver Monday night. Both games will be televised on Channel 5. . . . Forward Kenny Fields suffered a strained left groin in the second half against San Antonio. . . . Clipper guard Quintin Dailey scored a season-high 13 points against San Antonio.