Fitch Is Left Livid as Calls Go the Timberwolves' Way

Fitch Is Left Livid as Calls Go the Timberwolves’ Way

By CHRIS BAKER

Dec. 21, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MINNEAPOLIS — Clipper Coach Bill Fitch bounded from his seat and raced to half court to confront referee Bill Spooner after the Clippers threw away a three-point lead in the final 17 seconds of a 92-91 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night.

“Of all the games I’ve coached, you very seldom hear me talk about officiating,” Fitch said. “But it’s too blatant tonight. It’s got to be talked about.”

Fitch was livid because he felt referees Bob Delaney, Gary Benson and Spooner missed several calls.

Fitch maintained Minnesota forward Tom Gugliotta, who made a 20-foot jump shot from the corner with 11 seconds left to cut the Clipper lead to 91-90, was out of bounds when he received an inbounds pass from Kevin Garnett.

“He had both feet out of bounds,” Fitch said. “You’re damn right I’m mad. All I was saying to the officials after the game was over was, ‘Take a look at the films.’

“You can’t expect me to come in and be happy about those calls. It hurts a lot. It’s not like we came in here and lay down like a bunch of fleas on a dog.

“Our guys came in here and battled and expected to get a fair shake. I don’t think we got one at the end of the game.”

Gugliotta, who scored 24 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, said he did not know where his feet were positioned when he received the pass.

“I didn’t see my feet because I was running for the sidelines,” Gugliotta said. “I was dribbling inbounds, so I must have been inbounds.”

Fitch also felt that Gugliotta should have been called for a foul for hitting guard Darrick Martin after missing two free throws with 36 seconds remaining and the Clippers leading, 89-88.

“He took a cheap shot at our point guard,” Fitch said. “One official was standing right there and should have seen it.”

Gugliotta said he did not hit Martin.

“He faked it,” Gugliotta said. “He would do a good job in L.A. because he’s a good actor.”

Martin had a different version.

“I was walking by and he elbowed me in the face,” said Martin, who had a team-high 16 points, 13 in the third quarter. “The referees didn’t see it.

“It hurts a lot to lose games like this. These are the kind of games you lose sleep over.”

Although the Clippers had a timeout remaining after Gugliotta’s shot, which was close to being a three-pointer, Rodney Rogers didn’t use it and Terry Porter intercepted his inbound pass that was intended for rookie forward Maurice Taylor with 11.3 seconds left.

“He must have thought I had hit a three and they didn’t have any timeouts left,” Gugliotta said of Rogers.

Said Rogers: “I was throwing it to Maurice Taylor, but I led him too far.”

After Rogers’ turnover, Garnett tipped in Stephon Marbury’s missed layup with 5.8 seconds remaining to give the Timberwolves a one-point lead.

The Clippers had two shots at winning for the third time in 13 road games, but Taylor missed two jump shots as time expired.

Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders said his team was lucky.

“December 20th . . . I guess Christmas came a little early,” he said.