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Balanced Clippers snap 12-game losing streak

Jan 18, 2009 - 7:04 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- A lot has happened since the Los Angeles Clippers last won a game.

Mardy Collins had 12 points and 11 assists as the Clippers finally revisited the win column, snapping their 12-game losing streak with Saturday's 101-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Collins said that the win was a long time coming.

"Guys have been playing hard," the third-year point guard said. "We just missed out on a layup here or missed an assignment there that could have determined the game. We've been playing hard; we just want to continue doing that and try to get some more wins."

Marcus Camby had 18 points and 11 rebounds before leaving with a left ankle injury in the fourth quarter for the Clippers, who had all five starters score in double figures.

"I was really pleased with the way our guys responded in the fourth quarter when Marcus went down," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.

Los Angeles was last victorious against the Indiana Pacers on December 19, when we had yet to sit down for Christmas dinner or ring in the new year. Two days removed from inaugurating a new president, Los Angeles secured its ninth win of the season.

In fact, the Clippers don't even resemble that club from a month ago thanks to a rash of injuries. Leading scorers Baron Davis (tailbone) and Zach Randolph both are sidelined.

"It was good because a lot of our key guys were out and hurt," Collins said. "The guys are out there battling. A lot of us are playing 40 minutes, and we had some tough ones that we lost. It just feels good to finally get one."

Camby, the squad's remaining star, took a gruesome spill at the start of the fourth, forcing the club to persevere with a makeshift lineup. The former Defensive Player of the Year returned to the bench after having the ankle taped but never came back into the game.

Camby may have stayed away with the contest in hand, as Los Angeles held a 94-83 lead with 4:42 remaining.

But remember, these are the Clippers.

They allowed for one final push by the Bucks, who pulled within 95-90 on Richard Jefferson's free throw with 2:03 left. Ricky Davis responded with a layup and Al Thornton hit two free throws to push the lead back to nine, force Milwaukee's 20-second timeout and effectively seal the win.

Brian Skinner posted season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles, which shot 54.5 percent (42-of-77) from the floor.

"(The Clippers) shoot around 42 percent (for the season). They shot 55 against us," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "We just got owned in the paint. Skinner and Camby had their way with us.

"They were going right to the basket, and we couldn't make them even shoot from the perimeter. They were killing us down low, and we were really soft down there."

Jefferson scored 26 points and Michael Redd added 21 - after hitting for 44 on Friday - for the Bucks, who have alternated wins and losses in their last 14 games.

"We're like a lot of teams hovering right around .500 struggling for consistency," Skiles said. "So far, we haven't gotten it."