Clippers Are Blitzed and Blown Away, 126-103

Garbage time came early for the Clippers.

They trailed the Utah Jazz by just four points (85-81) late in the third quarter of Thursday night’s game at the Sports Arena.

However, the Jazz blitzed the Clippers, 25-3, during a span in the third and fourth quarters en route to a 126-103 blowout win before an announced crowd of 6,314.

The Clippers went 9 minutes 32 seconds without scoring a field goal during that time. And they were outscored, 59-39, in the second half.

“It was sickening,” Clipper guard Larry Drew said.

Said Clipper captain Mike Woodson: “It was embarrassing. We got blown out.”

Said Clipper guard Darnell Valentine: “It was ugly. I think everyone can see what kind of basketball we play, and it’s not the kind that Dr. (James) Naismith (credited with inventing basketball) would be proud of.”

Said Clipper Coach Don Chaney: “I can’t say anything nice after a game like this.”

Forward Karl Malone scored 27 points, including 21 in the first half, as Utah won its third straight game after a 114-113 overtime loss to the Clippers last Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Malone made 9 of 11 shots from the floor and sank 9 of 11 free throws. He also had 13 rebounds in 37 minutes.

Malone’s most impressive shot came at the end of the first half when he scored on a monster dunk off a lob pass from guard Dell Curry, who came off the bench to score 20 points in 22 minutes.

Curry scored eight points in the second period as the Jazz, who trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, took a 67-64 lead at halftime.

Coach Frank Layden inserted Curry into the starting lineup at the start of the second half in place of Bobby Hansen.

Center Mark Eaton, who didn’t have a rebound in the first half, finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

“This is the first time I can recall that Mark Eaton didn’t get a rebound in the first half,” Layden said. “I had to remind him that the vacation (All-Star break) starts tomorrow.”

Said Eaton: “There were not too many (rebounds) to be had in the first half. They (the Clippers) shot really well and made a lot of outside shots.”

Guard Rickey Green was also in double figures for Utah, scoring 16 points.

Woodson led the Clippers with 19 points and 7 assists. Valentine had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Guard Quintin Dailey added 17 points, and center Benoit Benjamin had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Cage had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Clippers will take a 7-39 record into the All-Star break. Utah is 28-18.

“I hope they forget about basketball (during the three-day break),” Chaney said. “We have to get our guys up for the second half. My goal is to win as many games as we can.

“It would take a miracle for us to make the playoffs.”

The Clippers had just nine healthy players at the start of the game.

Forward Kenny Fields sat out the game with a groin strain, and reserve forward Rory White is out indefinitely with a back strain.

Woodson started at forward in place of Fields, and Dailey started at guard in place of Woodson. It was the first time since 1982 that Woodson had played forward.

Dailey, who joined the Clippers on Dec. 31, was making his first start in 18 games for Los Angeles.

He had scored 28 points in last week’s overtime victory over Utah, and he followed that with 16 points Monday night in the Clippers’ 140-113 blowout loss at Denver.

Dailey had 12 points in the first half, including 9 in the second quarter. He made 4 of 11 shots from the floor in the first half.

Clipper Notes The Clippers are off until next Wednesday, when they play the Atlanta Hawks at the Sports Arena. The Hawks beat the Clippers, 125-115, on Jan. 12 in Atlanta as Dominique Wilkins scored 53 points. . . . Injured Clipper guard Marques Johnson, who recently called off an operation to fuse two vertebrae in his neck, said he still plans to have the surgery. Johnson said he’s currently undergoing therapy from a chiropractor to strengthen the neck muscles so that his recovery period will be shorter. However, Johnson hasn’t set a date for the surgery yet. . . . Utah Jazz guard Bob Hansen dropped out of the NBA’s long distance shooting contest Saturday in Seattle because he’s getting married in Des Moines, Iowa, over the All-Star break. . . . Clipper Coach Don Chaney and General Manager Elgin Baylor will represent the club at the All-Star game. Chaney and Baylor are attending meetings in Seattle. Guard Darnell Valentine, the Clippers’ player representative, will also be in Seattle to attend player meetings. . . . Clipper guard Quintin Dailey said he plans to “lose more weight” during the All-Star break.