Murray Reinstated; Clippers Lose Fifth in a Row : Basketball: Rookie returns after suspension as 104-91 loss at Dallas guarantees league’s worst record.

DALLAS — Lamond Murray returned to the Clippers after a one-game suspension Tuesday night, but the rookie forward was little help as the Dallas Mavericks handed the Clippers their fifth consecutive loss, 104-91.

The loss ensured the Clippers (16-64) of finishing with the NBA’s worst record. The Clippers end the season Sunday against the Mavericks at the Sports Arena.

Murray, suspended indefinitely by Coach Bill Fitch after an incident at practice Sunday at Houston, missed Monday’s 121-111 loss to the Rockets.

Reinstated after talking to Fitch, Murray rejoined the team Tuesday after a harrowing flight to Dallas.

“The front tires blew on the landing gear,” Fitch said in a pregame radio interview. “His bag got a hole burned right through it. I think he’s going to appreciate traveling with the team a little bit more.”

Fitch, who suspended Murray because of his poor work habits, thinks Murray has a new attitude.

“You know those makeovers you see on TV, I think we got a quick one,” Fitch said. “You’ve got a lot of time to reflect when the coach says get on an airplane and go home by yourself.

“He went all through that and I’m sure Lamond understands and that’s the basis of the whole thing. If he doesn’t understand what we’re about and why we took the measures we did, then I think we have a problem. But I don’t think we have a problem.”

Murray, averaging 14 points per game, didn’t start and scored seven points as the Clippers lost for the 14th time in their last 16 games.

Loy Vaught paced the Clippers with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Eric Piatkowski added 13.

Jamal Mashburn scored 20 points, and Roy Tarpley had 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Mavericks kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Dallas (36-43) trails the Denver Nuggets (38-41) by two games with three games remaining in the race for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

“We’re not eliminated yet,” said Dallas Coach Dick Motta. “We’d like to end the season on a positive note, no matter what happens. We’ve won 36 games this year. I would have taken 14--one more than the Mavericks had last year.”

Guard Jason Kidd, who had nine points and nine rebounds, agreed.

“We’re still alive and have something to play for,” Kidd said. “We could still get in, but if we don’t, the season certainly hasn’t been a failure.”

Said Fitch: “They’ve really got it turned around. They have tremendous players coming off the bench, like George McCloud and Scott Brooks.”