Clippers Disappear Against Magic

The Orlando Magic will never be confused with any of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.

Once Orlando traded guard Penny Hardaway during the off-season, the Magic made it clear that Doc Rivers’ first season as coach would be a rebuilding one.

But the Magic has played hard all season, and Sunday night, they made enough plays when it mattered to defeat the Clippers, 102-89, before 10,312 at Staples Center.

For the Clippers, the loss was their eighth in a row and maybe their worst of the bunch.

Power forward Maurice Taylor led the Clippers with 19 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high five assists. Center Michael Olowokandi added 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Derek Anderson had 20 points.

But the Clippers hurt themselves again with fouls and turnovers. Rookie Lamar Odom, who finished with 18 points and five rebounds, and Taylor struggled with foul trouble most of the game and the Clippers had 18 turnovers compared to Orlando’s nine.

“It’s like we have no respect for the ball,” said Clipper Coach Chris Ford, whose team has lost 12 of its last 13 games.

“Players have to take some responsibility for when the ball is in their hands. They have to make basketball decisions. You just can’t . . . put your head down and go by people.”

“You’ve got to be under control, you’ve got to know the stops. . . . We were doing really well in the first half, we were moving the ball . . . It’s a simple game. If you get out of control going to the basket, you’re going to lose games.”

Orlando, which had lost 13 of 15 games before Sunday, surprised the Clippers with togetherness and a never-say-die attitude.

Led by energetic point guard Darrell Armstrong, the Magic outhustled and outworked the Clippers. Armstrong finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Orlando had six players score in double figures.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad had 15 points, former Clipper Bo Outlaw had 14 and John Amaechi had 12.

“I don’t think you should have a team with low expectations,” Rivers said. “I think that not only do you play hard every night believing you can win, it helps you get yourself out of [losing] streaks.”

The Clippers, who have not won since Jan. 8, had difficulty slowing Orlando’s transition offense. From the opening tip, the Clippers gave up easy baskets to the Magic, with rookie Corey Maggette doing most of the damage in the first half.

Maggette, in the NBA after his freshman season at Duke, did not start but the acrobatic swingman gave the Clippers all they could handle over the first two quarters.

Maggette had 10 points and four rebounds to help Orlando to a 50-49 lead at halftime. The Clippers, who made 50% of their shots before intermission, were led by Taylor and Anderson, who each had 13 points.

The third quarter was awful for the Clippers. In making eight of 21 shots, the Clippers struggled to score against the Magic, who went inside for 24 of their 29 points.

“Any team can hang in a game for the first half or for three quarters,” said Olowokandi, who also blocked five shots.

“But in the later part of the third quarter and in the fourth, that’s when you have to be more disciplined and make better decisions.”

Lack of movement hurt the Clippers again as they stood around and watched one player after another go one-on-one, a tactic that hasn’t worked all season.

After trailing, 79-69, at the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers made a couple of mini-runs only to kill their momentum with a forced shot or bad pass.

The Clippers’ last run came midway in the quarter when Odom scored to cut the Magic’s lead to 85-81. But instead of turning up their defense, the Clippers gave up consecutive baskets to veteran forward Chris Gatling, who came off the bench to score 11 points.

With less than three weeks to go before the all-star break, the Clippers’ once-promising season has already become forgettable.

“The season season is at the crossroads and we have to turn it up and play to win,” Taylor said. “I don’t want to turn it in. . . . The way we’re losing now is ridiculous.”