7/14/13 | Eric Patten Follow @EricPatten
LAS VEGAS – Maalik Wayns walked out of a dark hallway around the corner from the Clippers’ locker room and looked dejected.
The Clippers Summer League squad was coming off a frustrating, 83-77, loss to the NBA’s D-League Select Team at Thomas & Mack Center Sunday afternoon and the typically smiley and charming second-year point guard was none too happy about it.
“It was one of those games,” he said. “[The D-League team] played hard. They out-worked us, they out toughed us and they got us today.”
The Clippers (1-1) never led, committed 36 fouls in 40 minutes and allowed 30 points in the opening quarter. Rookie Reggie Bullock scored a team-high 18 points for the second consecutive game, but went just 4-of-12 from the field, including 3-for-10 from long range. Samardo Samuels (15 pionts) and DaJuan Summers (13 points) were the only other Clippers in double figures.
“I think defensively we missed a couple of assignments and gave them a really good first quarter, which kind of put us in a hole early,” said rookie guard-forward Scott Wood, who scored three points with two rebounds off the bench. “Obviously, we’ve got to cut down on some turnovers that we don’t need.”
Wayns, who scored five points with four assists, and Jerome Randle combined for 13 of the Clippers’ 24 miscues. It was something that Randle, a 26-year-old rookie point guard who led the team with eight assists, lamented in the wide loading dock area near the Clippers’ team bus.
“I had a little bit too many turnovers,” said Randle, who played 23:27 in a reserve role. “But I was happy with my assists and decision-making. I’m just looking to make guys around me better.”
With Randle in the game the Clippers were a plus-2 in point differential and despite the overall miscues and 41.9-percent shooting performance as a team they still were in the game down the stretch. A Bullock 3-pointer and layup by JaMychal Green cut the D-League’s lead to five late in the fourth.
But as they did earlier in the game when they cut the deficit to 33-31, the Clippers went on a prolonged drought. Summers lost the ball trying to push it up the center of the court, leading to a dunk by Dominique Sutton, and the Clippers managed just five points over the final 2:21.