Trail Blazers End Clippers’ Hopes

The other Yugoslav in the NBA--Drazen Petrovic--put an end to the faint hopes of the Clippers to make the playoffs.

Petrovic, a 6-foot-5 guard who once played with Vlade Divac of the Lakers in Yugoslavia, made a three-pointer with less than a minute to play, leading the Trail Blazers to a 106-99 victory at Portland, Ore.

The Clippers, who have lost 28 consecutive games at Portland, battled the Trail Blazers on even terms most of the game. They even built a five-point lead early in the last quarter.

But Clyde Drexler and Petrovic, who complained earlier in the season about a lack of playing time, brought the Trail Blazers back.

After the Clippers’ Charles Smith, playing despite a knee injury, saw his streak of successful free throws end at 41 with a miss on his eighth try of the night, the Trail Blazers led, 99-98.

Petrovic, who had made a three-pointer earlier, then swished his shot with 35 seconds to play.

Clyde Drexler scored 35 points and Jerome Kersey tied his season high with 28 for Portland. Benoit Benjamin had 20 points and a season-high 22 rebounds for the Clippers.

The game was sloppy, with 47 turnovers--27 by the Clippers, and 60 fouls--31 by Portland. Both teams shot poorly from the field: 41% for the Trail Blazers and 38% for the Clippers.

The Trail Blazers were playing without guard Terry Porter, who was at his family’s Milwaukee home because of his mother’s illness.