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Ellis leads balance attack as Warriors end three-game slide

Jan 16, 2007 - 1:31 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Coach Don Nelson didn't have to look too far down his bench to find a win.

Monta Ellis scored 24 points off the bench to lead five players in double figures as the Golden State Warriors snapped a three-game slide with a 108-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Baron Davis collected 19 points and 13 assists and Mike Dunleavy Jr. chipped in 18 and 13 rebounds for the Warriors, who won the opener of a home-and-home series against the Clippers.

A second-year guard, Ellis was a major force in the first half, scoring 18 points to help Golden State grab a 60-51 bulge at intermission. He also had six rebounds and three steals.

Cuttino Mobley hit back-to-back jumpers to begin the fourth quarter, helping Los Angeles erase an 11-point deficit and take an 83-81 advantage with 11:15 left.

However, the Warriors regained control for good behind an impressive 12-0 surge. Ellis capped it when he found Andris Biedrins for a two-handed jam that opened a 93-83 lead at the eight minute mark.

"I don't know what it was, I think it was a sense of desperation," Dunleavy said. "They made a little run at the beginning of the quarter, we called a timeout and guys just realized we can't let this one slip away and for whatever reason, we were able to buckle down."

"We had an one-point game in the fourth quarter and we made some mistakes, turned the ball over," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. said. "They got easy scores, gave them the momentum of the game and they got a good run."

Matt Barnes' 3-pointer from the top of the key pushed the lead to 100-85 at the 6:05 mark, and Golden State never looked back thereafter. The Warriors outscored the Clippers, 27-14, in the fourth quarter.

"Hustle baskets and hustle opportunities," Los Angeles forward Elton Brand said. "They played really hard in the fourth and had more energy to the loose balls and things like that."

Barnes scored 17 points and Biedrins pulled down 16 rebounds for Golden State, which shot 42 percent (39-of-92) from the floor and forced 19 turovers.

Brand had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Corey Maggette added 18 and 11 for the Clippers, who fell to a dismal 5-14 on the road.

"It's tough to get a solid rotation and on the road you have to be confident with that rotation and have your team out there ready to play," Brand said.

Brand remains displeased with the early struggles after leading the Clippers (17-21) to the second-best record in franchise history a year ago.

"It's been frustrating," he said. "We feel we should have been one of the upper-eschelon teams but we got behind early. We didn't get to implement all our plays and put our stuff in and get to grow as a unit. It seems like every time we take two steps forward, we take a step back. So it's disappointing."

Los Angeles guard Shaun Livingston left in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle and is listed as day-to-day. In 23 minutes, he had 10 points and five assists.

The clubs meet Wednesday at the Staples Center, where the Clippers are 12-7.

"They are going for the same (playoff) spot that we're going for and now especially we won this game we need to win in LA," Biedrins said. "It will be good but it's really important to win these games."