Brand provides star treatment
Art Thompson Iii Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES – Elton Brand has been slighted for years, despite being a perennial 20-point, 10-rebound performer. He can no longer be ignored. Not the way the Clippers are playing. Not the way he is carrying a major part of the load.Brand’s career-high-tying 44 points and a strong fourth-quarter team defensive effort was the impetus […]
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Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES – Elton Brand has been slighted for years, despite being a perennial 20-point, 10-rebound performer. He can no longer be ignored. Not the way the Clippers are playing. Not the way he is carrying a major part of the load.

Brand’s career-high-tying 44 points and a strong fourth-quarter team defensive effort was the impetus that rallied the Clippers to a 91-87 victory Friday night over the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. It was the Clippers’ 13th victory in the past 17 games, improving their record to 30-18.

“We battled back and we played defense in the end,” guard Cuttino Mobley said. “Chris Kaman did his job with 16 (points) and 11 (rebounds). Elton did his job, and more. He scored for me and Sam (Cassell).”

The Clippers played catch-up most of the game after getting riddled by Grizzlies forward Shane Battier’s three-point shooting in the first quarter. But the league’s top field-goal percentage defensive unit tightened up and locked down in the final 12 minutes.

“It’s our maturity,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We know defensively that we’re good and that we can make stops.”

Active hands in the passing lanes were one of the keys to the defensive turnaround from the first half, when the Clippers trailed by nine. They only had five deflections in the first half but that number ballooned to 15 in the second half.

“Through three quarters we executed well, but in the fourth quarter we weren’t able to sustain that same execution,” Memphis coach Mike Fratello said. “I give credit to the Clippers’ defense.”

Memphis hurt the Clippers in the first half with dribble penetration that often resulted in wide-open jumpshots from kick-out passes or second-chance baskets for the Grizzlies, when a Clipper help-side defender slid over, which nullified boxout responsibilities.

That stopped in the fourth quarter, as the Clippers’ top perimeter defender, Quinton Ross, nullified drives by the Grizzlies guards. Memphis was 4 of 23 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“Q was terrific,” Dunleavy said. “We brought him back in and he guarded Bobby Jackson in the fourth quarter. He did a great job on anyone he was on.”

Cassell was back in the starting lineup after missing Wednesday’s game against Detroit because of back spasms. Although he shot poorly, making only 2 of 12 shots, he had a game-high 11 assists and orchestrated the Clippers’ comeback from an eight-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter. His main recipient was the All-Star Game-bound Brand, who made 17 of 26 shots and was 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Brand scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, it was Cassell – the big hero on the recent trip – who sealed the game by making two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to play.

Brand, who was selected as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team on Thursday, is getting MVP attention, too, as his play has carried the Clippers to their best record to this point since the franchise, then known as the Buffalo Braves, was 31-17.

“The guys did a great job of getting me the ball in my spots,” Brand said. “And Coach kept calling my playing over and over again. This game says a lot about our team. We weren’t going to give up.”

Ross said it is imperative that the Clippers not slack off on this three-game homestand after a 4-2 trip.

“We can’t have any letdowns,” Ross said. “We had a good road trip, so now we have to come home, take care of business and get wins.”

Dunleavy said the Clippers’ focus should not be limited to just making the playoffs. They should aspire for more.

“I told our guys that we had a great road trip and that everybody is telling you how great you are,” Dunleavy said before Friday’s game. “The reality is, we have 35 games left and we have to take care of business. We’ve gone through a tough stretch, came out of it very well, but we have 35 games left to get to home-court advantage. We’ve got 35 games left to catch Phoenix. There are all kinds of things out there left for us to do. Right now, our goal shouldn’t be to make the playoffs. Our goal should be to get home-court advantage.”

Memphis, which plays the Lakers tonight at Staples Center, is on a six-game trip. The Grizzlies began the trip eight games above .500. Five consecutive losses later, however, they hover only three games above .500. Memphis has lost 12 of its past 15 games.

Rebraca sits

Clippers backup center Zeljko Rebraca will not be back in game action until after the All-Star break. Rebraca has been held out of games since Jan.25, when he complained of shortness of breath and tightness in his chest after pregame warmups..

FG FT Reb MEMPHIS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Battier 42:32 7-18 0-0 1-2 3 1 16 Gasol 42:37 7-12 2-4 3-9 3 1 16 Wright 8:47 1-4 0-0 1-3 0 3 2 EJones 34:31 6-16 1-2 1-1 3 3 15 Atkins 30:59 3-9 0-0 0-2 4 1 6 Tsakalidis 24:57 5-11 2-2 4-12 0 5 12 Jackson 27:12 4-14 3-4 0-2 5 1 12 DJones 3:59 0-1 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 Warrick 3:01 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 1 0 Burks 7:45 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 2 Cardinal 13:40 1-4 2-2 1-3 1 2 5 Totals 240:00 35-91 11-16 12-35 19 20 87

Percentages:FG .385, FT .688. 3-Point Goals:6-22, .273 (Battier 2-6, E.Jones 2-7, Cardinal 1-2, Jackson 1-5, Atkins 0-2). Team Rebounds:14. Team Turnovers:6 (7 PTS). Blocked Shots:5 (Gasol 3, E.Jones, Battier). Turnovers:6 (Atkins 2, Gasol, Wright, Tsakalidis, Cardinal). Steals:7 (E.Jones 2, Atkins 2, Battier, Cardinal, Jackson). Technical Fouls:None.

FG FT Reb CLIPPERS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Ross 21:29 2-4 0-0 1-4 1 4 4 Brand 44:45 17-26 10-10 2-9 2 4 44 Kaman 37:22 5-12 6-6 4-11 1 3 16 Mobley 42:54 3-7 2-2 0-6 3 2 8 Cassell 37:43 2-12 2-2 1-4 11 2 6 Singleton 25:54 1-2 1-1 3-7 1 0 3 Wilcox 13:29 3-3 2-3 0-3 0 3 8 Livingston 16:02 1-5 0-0 0-0 2 3 2 Ewing 0:22 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240:00 34-71 23-24 11-44 21 21 91

Percentages:FG .479, FT .958. 3-Point Goals:0-1, .000 (Singleton 0-1). Team Rebounds:6. Team Turnovers:15 (18 PTS). Blocked Shots:10 (Singleton 4, Brand 2, Wilcox, Kaman, Ross, Cassell). Turnovers:15 (Mobley 5, Brand 4, Kaman 3, Ross 2, Cassell). Steals:4 (Brand 2, Ross, Mobley). Technical Fouls:None.

Memphis 27 27 21 12 – 87 Clippers 26 19 22 24 – 91