Clippers Have a Big Problem : They Can’t Handle Spurs’ 7-2 Gilmore in a 134-106 Loss

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. —  San Antonio Spurs Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, one of the smaller adults in attendance at Friday night’s game at the Hemisfair Arena, certainly can recognize a height advantage when he sees one.

In fact, Fitzsimmons likes nothing better than to send center Artis Gilmore, all 7-2, 265 pounds of him, against smaller and more inexperienced opponents and then sit back and watch the little guys get squashed.

But it took the Spurs the entire first half before remembering that the Clippers simply did not match up, in either bulk or ability, against Gilmore. Before long, though, the Clippers’ slim halftime lead dissolved into another lopsided loss, this time a 134-106 drubbing.

The defeat was the Clippers’ 11th in the last 12 games, and the only Clipper bright spot was the continued scoring exploits of Marques Johnson, who had 29 points and 6 assists. But Johnson would have needed to add about five inches and 40 pounds to help bail this one out for the Clippers. Gilmore, who at 36 has been called too old and too slow to make an impact anymore, dominated Benoit Benjamin and Kurt Nimphius with a 16-point third quarter. Not coincidentally, the Spurs outscored the Clippers by 16 points in that period, reducing most of the fourth quarter to garbage time. “I think it was obvious what happened,” Clipper Coach Don Chaney said. “Gilmore was too strong and too big for us. We tried fronting him low. We tried playing behind him. We tried getting help down low. We couldn’t stop him.

“You knew Cotton would go to him because it’s the wise thing to do in our situation.”

After trading bulky but inconsistent James Donaldson Monday, the Clippers have no other choice but to start Benjamin, a rookie, at center and bring Nimphius off the bench. Benjamin is 15 years younger than Gilmore and much more timid, while Nimphius is four inches and 45 pounds smaller than Gilmore.

“You’ve got to exploit a rookie like (Benjamin)” Fitzsimmons said. “Benjamin is a young kid, and he doesn’t understand yet. Some day, he will and he’ll be very good.” Neither Benjamin nor Nimphius was good enough to prevent Gilmore from having his way in the second half. After being held to seven points in the first half, in which the Clippers’ led, 63-61, Gilmore finished with a season-high 25 points and 9 rebounds.

He was unstoppable in the third quarter, making six of seven shots on a variety of left-handed hooks, dunks and spin shots. Eventually, the Clippers became so concerned about stopping Gilmore, it made it easy for for forward Steve Johnson (23 points) to score inside and reserve guard Jon Sundvold (13 points) to hit perimeter jump shots. “Everybody has problems against Gilmore,” the 6-10 Nimphius said. “He’s one of the strongest centers in the league, and I’m more of a forward than a true center. I tried everything, and the refs respect him so much it’s hard to get him in foul trouble.”

Benjamin, who registered most of his eight points and seven rebounds in garbage time, found it difficult to stay out of foul trouble. Three minutes into his third start of the season, Benjamin had received his third foul and was on the bench for the remainder of the half.

Benjamin returned at the start of the third quarter and couldn’t stop Gilmore from scoring seven of the Spurs’ first nine points before the Clipper rookie committed his fourth foul and was replaced. Nimphius fared no better, Gilmore scoring nine points the rest of the quarter.

Several Clipper players were wondering aloud if the 7-2, 275-pound Donaldson, who at least matches up against Gilmore in size, would have made a difference. Benjamin said the only stronger player than Gilmore he has played against this season was Donaldson in practice.

“James is probably one of the only centers that can go strength-for-strength with Gilmore,” Marques Johnson said. “But he’s not here anymore, so we can’t think about it.”

It was Johnson who enabled the Clippers to lead at halftime. He scored 17 of the Clippers’ 33 points in the second quarter.

But no matter how well Johnson plays, one player can not carry this team.

Fitzsimmons, perhaps feeling a bit guilty about bullying the Clippers with the Spurs’ height advantage, came to the Clippers’ defense afterward.

“I like the Clippers,” he said. “What they really need right now is a win. Just one win to get going again.”

The Clippers will try again tonight at Dallas. The probable starting center for the Mavericks? The 7-2 James Donaldson, who no doubt will be wanting to supplement Gilmore’s assault on Clipper centers with a pounding of his own.