Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991 TAG: 9102260053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHANNES TESSELAAR LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
The Clippers' new center has done that in his two games with the team, but he's also added some spark into a listless season.
"He brings some toughness and enthusiasm that we really need," coach Mike Schuler was saying after Polynice helped the Clippers to a 129-112 win over Denver before 13,280 Sunday night at the Sports Arena. "We're not really an emotional team."
But Polynice is trying his best to change that.
His 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first start as a Clipper were important, but his attitude was, too.
"He's definitely put some enthusiasm in the team," guard Ron Harper said of Polynice, acquired along with draft picks from Seattle for Benoit Benjamin on Wednesday. "When he gets pumped up, everyone else gets fired up."
Polynice, a 7-foot, 245-pound fourth-year pro out of the University of Virginia, made only his eighth career start.
"My job isn't really points, it's defense, rebounding and enthusiasm," said Polynice, who made nine of 13 shots. "Loy Vaught said to me, `It feels so much better now.' I feel that [enthusiasm] trickling down and that's the contribution that I'm trying to make."
In his first game as a Clipper, Polynice served as the team's biggest cheerleader in the closing minutes of a win over San Antonio. Against the Nuggets, he had emphatic back-to-back dunks to help start a Clippers run.
With three wins in their past five games, the Clippers somehow are still in a semblance of a playoff race. They trail Seattle by seven games and play the Sonics tonight in Seattle.
It'll be a homecoming for Polynice, but for a couple hours his Seattle buddies won't be friends. That's another message he tried to convey on the Clippers on Sunday.
Five minutes into the third quarter, Harper and Gary Grant knocked Denver's Michael Adams down. Because they connected with Adams' head, both Clippers guards offered their hand to the fallen Nugget.
Polynice came over and told Harper and Grant that shouldn't be done.
"When you knock someone down, you don't go and help them up," Polynice said.
Schuler likes that attitude.
"That shows he's got some toughness about him," Schuler said. "That's what they used to do in the old days before everybody was a multimillion-dollar player. They used to knock a guy down and instead of helping them up, they'd knock them down again."
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB