Clippers Are Good for Whatever Ails Vancouver on Road

Stuck in a six-game losing streak?

No problem.

Lost 15 in a row on the road?

No problem.

In need of a lift as you stumble to the end of the regular season with no postseason in sight?

No problem.

Come spend a couple of hours in Clipperland and watch your problems fade away.

Watch your team suddenly look like the Chicago Bulls.

Watch your center suddenly look like Shaquille O’Neal.

That’s what happened to the Vancouver Grizzlies on Tuesday night when they broke both of their losing streaks by trouncing the Clippers, 110-94, in front of an announced Sports Arena crowd of 5,124.

In this case, however, the Clippers, mired in a five-game losing streak of their own, can claim extenuating circumstances. They are losing players as fast as they are losing games.

Center Isaac Austin is the latest to fall. Literally.

Turning to head upcourt, he fell to the floor with 6:43 to play in the third quarter because of the effects of a strained calf muscle, which he had suffered last week against the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin was helped off the court and did not return.

His status for Thursday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Sports Arena is uncertain.

Austin joins guard Eric Piatkowski, who is not expected back this season because of a strained abdominal muscle, and forward Maurice Taylor, who is out because of a hyperextended left knee, on the bench.

Forward Rodney Rogers returned after sitting out three games because of a sprained left knee, coming off the bench to play 24 minutes.

“That was his first hard practice,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said of Rogers.

There wasn’t much Fitch could say about his other players, who watched the Grizzlies equal the biggest margin of victory in their three-year history.

“We looked like a team that had been on the road the last 10 days,” Fitch said, “and just got back.”

The Grizzlies, who had lost 28 of their previous 31 games, hadn’t won since March 23 when they beat--you guessed it--the Clippers.

The Grizzlies hadn’t won on the road since Jan 23, when they beat the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.

The Grizzlies won for only the fourth time all season on the road Tuesday night, thanks largely to center Bryant Reeves, who did his O’Neal impersonation with 25 points--making 12 of 22 shots--and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes; and forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who had a game-high 30 points and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes.

“We knew we had to contain those two guys,” Fitch said. “They both had 17 points at the half. . . . We didn’t have anything or anyone who could match up with them.”

It was obvious from the start that Austin wasn’t the one. His calf injury severely limited his movement on defense.

Austin still managed to lead the team in scoring with 16 points and rebounds with 10.

But he didn’t get much help. Lamond Murray made only five of 14 shots and Rogers, showing the effects of missing a week, was four for 11.

Only in the final quarter did the Clippers finally find a hot hand. Reserve guard James Collins came of the bench to score all 15 of his points in the last 12 minutes, making all four of his three-point shots while going five for seven from the floor.

It was just about the only bright spot on another bleak night at the Sports Arena.

But at least the Grizzlies went home feeling good. Turns out, all they needed was a visit to Clipperland.