Clippers Stop Bleeding in Fourth Quarter, Win : Pro basketball: A pattern of final-period futility is broken and a losing streak ends when the Cavaliers are beaten.

By CHRIS BAKER

Jan. 19, 1995 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch could see a pattern developing after his team squandered a 15-point lead in Monday’s 96-88 loss to the Lakers.

But the Clippers changed their routine after wasting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, scoring 11 consecutive points to end a six-game losing streak with a 92-83 victory before an announced crowd of 6,695 at the Sports Arena.

With the score tied, 75-75, after Chris Mills made a three-point basket with 3:57 remaining to cap a 12-2 Cleveland spurt, the Clippers took control, outscoring Cleveland, 11-0, to lead, 86-75.

Charles Outlaw, who had a season-high 14 points, had four points in the spurt, making a jump shot and two free throws.

“I’m glad they haven’t put all the outlaws in jail,” Fitch quipped.

“When we took those timeouts at the end when they kept crawling up and it was down to one (point), that was a little more than just a game. You’ve got time and season if you let that thing crawl up on you two times in a row in the fourth quarter.

“The word choke came up. . . . I was concerned--not just for this game, but if you lose this one it could cost you more until you lick the disease. When we licked it, that may have ended it there tonight.”

Outlaw, who scored six points in the final quarter, making both his shots, said the Clippers concentrated on the fourth quarter.

“That’s one thing we tried to focus on--in the fourth quarter teams usually come back on us,” Outlaw said. “After the third quarter, coach talked to us and said, ‘This is the quarter.’ ”

With the score tied, 75-75, guard Malik Sealy, who scored seven of his team-high 20 points in the final quarter, hit an 18-foot baseline jump shot to trigger the run. Outlaw added an 18-footer with 1:54 left, and Pooh Richardson made a three-pointer with 1:10 left for 82-75. Sealy and Outlaw each made two free throws to cap the run.

“It was a very gratifying win,” Sealy said. “We go through so many times of the fourth quarter not going your way, and when they got it down to one, I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ ”

Pooh Richardson, who had five points and two assists in the final quarter, said the Clippers had been playing not to lose at game’s end.

“You can’t shoot and be worrying about if you miss or not in the fourth quarter,” Richardson said. “The fourth quarter is where the game’s won or lost.”

And for once the Clippers (6-31) didn’t blow a game in the final quarter.

“They made a great run, but mentally and physically, we got a little tired,” said Cavalier guard Terrell Brandon, who had 13 points and seven assists. “You have to give them credit. We didn’t make the right decisions.

“Normally, we hit those shots.”

Clipper Notes

Clipper forward Lamond Murray jokingly said his first question after being named to play the NBA Rookie All-Star game on Feb. 11 in Phoenix was, “Do I get paid?” Murray, the NBA’s third-leading rookie scorer with an average of 13.5 points per game, said he was honored to be selected. “It’s a big accomplishment,” Murray said. “I’m happy to be a part of it.” . . . Clipper guard Gary Grant, who missed the first 29 games of the season while recuperating from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, missed the game because of a sore left knee. . . . Cavalier guard Mark Price missed his second consecutive game because of a sprained right wrist.