1992-93

The Clippers were involved in another big trade shortly before the 1992-93 campaign began. As part of a three-team deal, Los Angeles surrendered Rivers, Bo Kimble, and Charles Smith to the New York Knicks, and a first-round draft choice to the Orlando Magic. In return the franchise acquired point guard Mark Jackson from the Knicks and center Stanley Roberts from the Magic, while the Knicks sent the Magic a first-round draft choice. Later that fall the Clippers sent William Bedford and the draft rights to Don MacLean to the Washington Bullets for John Williams. The trades gave the Clippers an All-Star point guard as well as plenty of bulk in the middle-Williams and Roberts each weighed a reported 295 pounds, although most observers suspected that both players tipped the scales at well over 300. The Clippers lost three straight to start the 1992-93 season but finished November with a 7-6 record. A winning December followed, marking the first time since 1974 that the franchise had started a season with two consecutive winning months. When Los Angeles defeated Golden State by a single point on January 29, the club was assured of starting the month of February with a winning record, the first time that had happened since the franchise had left Buffalo. The team split a dozen games in February, then struggled through March with a 6-10 mark. Head Coach Larry Brown rallied the troops in April, and a 7-5 record gave the Clippers a 41-41 mark for the year. Manning led the team in scoring with 22.8 points per game, and he made the first All-Star Game appearance by a Clippers player since Marques Johnson in 1986. Jackson fueled the Clippers' offense to the tune of 8.8 assists per game. For a second straight year the Clippers made it into the playoffs. Los Angeles faced the Houston Rockets, and the series went the limit before the Rockets ousted the Clippers with an 84-80 win in Game 5.