• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brand helps Clippers top Kings for second straight win

Dec 30, 2006 - 9:45 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Elton Brand and the Los Angeles Clippers finally are resembling last season's squad.

Brand scored 22 points and Corey Maggette added 21 as the Clippers broke a long skid against the Sacramento Kings with a 102-93 victory.

Cuttino Mobley scored 17 points for Los Angeles, which shot 49 percent (36-of-73) from the field and snapped a 14-game losing streak against Sacramento. The Clippers' last win over the Kings came on January 18, 2003.

"Obviously, I was pleased with the win," Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy said. "It has been a while since we beat these guys. I thought our second half was a pretty good display. I thought we defended well. In the first half, we made a lot of mistakes."

"We lost to this team 14 times in a row and there is no better time to win than right now," Brand said. "That was an important win for us. We were struggling, so it was a big win for us."

After making the playoffs last season for the first time since 1997, the Clippers have disappointed this campaign. However, after a six-game losing streak, Los Angeles has won three of its last four contests and hopes its recent play will spark a turnaround.

"It feels great to win after that long slide," Brand said. "We have a big game on Sunday, we need to win that one and then go out on the road out East. We made our season last season with that East Coast swing. That changed the tide for us. Hopefully, with this East Coast trip, we can do it again."

After wrapping up their homestand against New York on December 31, the Clippers will start their six-game road stretch at Orlando on January 2.

For the second straight game, Los Angeles pounded the ball inside to Brand, who shot 9-of-15 from the floor. Maggette was 7-of-15 and 7-of-7 from the line.

"We were knocking down a lot of uncontested shots, playing good defense and now our offense is growing," Brand said. "We are correcting our mistakes when we watch a lot of film, but it is our defense that is improving."

Mike Bibby scored 26 points, but Ron Artest managed just five in 33 minutes for the Kings, who shot 42 percent (32-of-76).

"Basketball has a lot of ups and downs," Artest said. "Losses happen and it is just one game. You have to improve on it and get better for the next game. My (injured knee) was a little sore and I banged it up again in the last game. As long as I stay in shape and keep getting treatment on it, things will be better. I feel real confident about it."