Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Team

Point guard Jason Hart attended the Clippers' game Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers. Perhaps the Clippers were trying to impress their potential new teammate, beating the reeling Pacers, 87-64, while giving up the fewest points in franchise history in front of 17,835 at Staples Center. The Clippers set a new mark on defense, holding the Pacers to one fewer point than the Seattle SuperSonics scored against them Nov. 18, 1990.

Chicago prep standout Eddy Curry, who has made himself eligible for next week's NBA draft, worked out for the Clippers on Thursday morning and impressed people with his size and athletic ability. Curry, 6 feet 10 1/2 and 300 pounds, displayed good hands and mobility in a 45-minute private workout at L.A. Southwest College. The Clippers, who have the No.

With their sights apparently focused on a point guard they believe is worthy of the fourth pick in Thursday's NBA draft but not the second, the Clippers on Monday swapped picks with the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. Rejecting a similar offer from the Atlanta Hawks, the Clippers picked up the fourth and 33rd picks from the Bobcats in exchange for the second.

In a move that at last puts them on equal footing with their competitors, the Clippers will announce today that they have purchased land on the Westside to build a state-of-the-art practice facility and complete a $20-million deal.

Misfortune, by now familiar enough to the Clippers to be on a first-name basis, came calling again Wednesday when test results showed that Ron Harper, the team's leading scorer and a major reason for the transformation from perennial losers into playoff contenders, will miss the rest of the season. Harper hurt his right knee during Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Sports Arena, collapsing after catching a pass from teammate Gary Grant under the basket.

The NBA is measuring Shaquille O'Neal's free throws and shorts, for form and accuracy. O'Neal's tendency to step into the lane early during his free throws has drawn complaints from other teams, notably the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. Maverick owner Mark Cuban piled on, comparing the O'Neal free throw to that of a 10-year-old. Referees were notified by NBA Senior Vice President Stu Jackson to watch for the violation, and Laker coaches have informed O'Neal.

A winless trip to Japan wasn't a washout for every Clipper. Wang Zhizhi, a backup center from China, enjoyed a tearful reunion last weekend with his parents, Wang Wiejung and Ren Huangzhen, who flew in from Beijing for Saturday's game against the Seattle SuperSonics at Saitama. "I miss my mother and my father," he said Tuesday after practice at L.A. Southwest College. "It's two years I no see [them], so I'm very happy."

Lamond Murray ran up quite a phone bill while the Clippers were in Japan to open the 1994-95 season. He kept calling his wife, Carmen, who was past due with their first child. "I called her every day," said Murray, who made it back in time to witness the birth of his son, Lamond Jr., now 3. "It was a different experience," Murray said. "I can't even describe it. You have to have your own kids [he also has a daughter, Ashley, 1] to know about it. "Your whole life changes.

Is it too late for Corey Maggette and the Clippers to resolve their differences and stay together? Reconciliation might be best for both sides, especially considering how Maggette performed Wednesday night in a 92-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in front of 14,223 at the Target Center. In his most efficient performance of the season, Maggette scored 21 points off the bench and made a 17-foot jumper in the right corner to put the Clippers ahead with only 4.

Oregon State guard Brent Barry was shooting a free throw underhanded in an exhibition game against a team from New Zealand when an opponent halted play. "Can he do that?" the player asked. "Isn't that illegal? He's just trying to show us up." After assuring the player that it was within the rules, the referee said, "That's the way his dad did it."