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Brand, Mobley power Clippers past Bucks

Jan 24, 2007 - 7:45 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Elton Brand put the Milwaukee Bucks in the rearview mirror and Cuttino Mobley finished them off.

Brand scored 25 points and Mobley added 22 to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 115-96 victory over the injury-wracked Milwaukee Bucks.

The Clippers opened a double-digit lead behind 23 first-half points from Brand and then pulled away as Mobley scored seven straight points to open the fourth quarter that ballooned the margin to 96-74 with just over 10 minutes to play.

"We knew they were undermanned a little bit but with (Andrew) Bogut and (Earl) Boykins, they are playing very well for them," Brand said. "We just wanted to take it to them and get a lead. We had an 18-point lead early on and they cut it down, which was disappointing. They kind of hung in there for a while but the victory is most important."

Center Chris Kaman had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds and added a career-high six blocked shots to help Los Angeles win its third straight game.

The Bucks stayed within striking distance in the first half behind Charlie Bell, who scored 18 of his 24 points as the Clippers led, 69-58, at the break.

But with starters Michael Redd, Mo Williams, Charlie Villanueva and Bobby Simmons missing from the lineup, Milwaukee couldn't keep pace with Los Angeles.

Mobley and Quinton Ross scored the final two baskets of the third quarter to extend the Clippers' lead to 89-74 and Mobley took over from there.

The ninth-year shooting guard converted a three-point play, hit a turnaround jumper in the lane and added a reverse layup to push the margin to 22 points and send the Bucks to their fourth straight defeat.

"We had our chances in the first half to cut down their lead but it was a long game and they just wore us down," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "They shot the ball well from the outside and we actually scored more points in the paint then they did. When Elton (Brand) gets his jump shot going it is tough."

Mobley wasn't concerned about the health of the Bucks. He has been dealing with an ailing elbow that has hindered his play. In his first 10 games of 2007, Mobley has been shooting 32 percent (91-of-290).

"For the last three days I have been on a different anti-inflammatory. It has kind of helped my elbow out," Mobley said. "I'm not one to cry about things but the elbow has been killing me the last two or three weeks. It's been hurting because I get a lot of major minutes and I really can't do to much and that hurts us as a team. But I've felt good the last two days and I shot the ball very well in practice. Hopefully it will carry on."

Mobley finished 10-of-15 from the floor, the first time he has shot at least 50 percent in the new year.

"I was trying to attack more tonight getting inside because the more you make the more shots you get," he said. "I just have to take my time and stay with it."

Corey Maggette scored 15 points for the Clippers, who shot 52 percent (45-of-86) from the field.

Ruben Patterson and Earl Boykins were in double figures for Milwaukee with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

"We just need to focus on what we have," Boykins said. "Right now we are undermanned."