Brand, Clippers drub Sonics
SEATTLE – Sam Cassell scored 21 points in just 19 minutes, Elton Brand added 22 and the Los Angeles Clippers led by as many as 37 in a 98-76 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday night.
Cassell sparked the Clippers with 13 points in the first quarter, then let Brand take on the scoring load in the second half. Brand scored 16 in 10 minutes in the third quarter.
The Clippers impressively bounced back from Saturday night’s 14-point home loss to Minnesota.
Los Angeles has won five of six.
Ray Allen led Seattle with 15 points, but the Sonics suffered through three quarters of poor shooting. Seattle shot 32.9 percent, but outscored the Clippers 20-9 in the fourth quarter and made the final more respectable.
Reserve Mike Wilks’ 31-footer as the third quarter ended drew the largest cheers, but only cut the Clippers lead to 33.
Johan Petro scored 11 for the Sonics, who finished their longest homestand of the season 4-3.
Cassell made three 3-pointers in the first quarter and added four assists. He got to rest the entire second quarter as Seattle’s shooting woes allowed the Clippers’ reserves to build the lead to as many as 24 points on Shaun Livingston’s uncontested dunk late in the half. The Sonics got two free throws in the final second of the quarter to finally top the 30-point mark.
Los Angeles extended its lead in the third quarter against an undersized Seattle lineup trying to use speed to rally. It didn’t work and Brand dominated, making eight of nine shots in the quarter, often matched up against skinny 6-foot-7 rookie Mickael Gelabale. Brand also added seven rebounds and three steals. Chris Kaman had 15 rebounds.
Clippers 98, SuperSonics 76
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| L.A. | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Ross | 20:24 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Brand | 26:27 | 11-15 | 0-0 | 4-7 | 0 | 5 | 22 |
| Kaman | 24:21 | 3-8 | 3-4 | 2-15 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Mobley | 39:14 | 4-11 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| Cassell | 19:37 | 6-11 | 4-4 | 0-2 | 7 | 4 | 21 |
| Thomas | 21:01 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 0-4 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| Livingston | 23:45 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Maggette | 27:38 | 3-15 | 4-4 | 0-9 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| Ewing | 13:51 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Davis | 13:45 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Singleton | 9:57 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 36-84 | 15-18 | 11-51 | 28 | 25 | 98 |
Percentages: FG .429, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 11-20, .550 (Cassell 5-5, Ewing 2-4, Mobley 2-4, Singleton 1-2, Thomas 1-3, Maggette 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 18 (13 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Kaman 2, Singleton 2, Brand, Livingston). Turnovers: 17 (Maggette 4, Livingston 3, Brand 2, Thomas 2, Cassell, Ewing, Kaman, Mobley, Ross, Singleton). Steals: 13 (Livingston 4, Brand 3, Thomas 2, Kaman, Maggette, Mobley, Singleton). Technical Fouls: None.
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| Seattle | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Gelabale | 25:07 | 1-6 | 3-4 | 1-4 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Wilcox | 24:18 | 3-6 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Collison | 19:10 | 3-8 | 3-3 | 3-6 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Allen | 29:03 | 5-11 | 4-4 | 0-3 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Watson | 29:12 | 1-8 | 2-4 | 1-3 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Petro | 22:55 | 4-11 | 3-4 | 3-7 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| Ridnour | 28:14 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wilkins | 25:23 | 1-5 | 4-4 | 0-1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Sene | 11:47 | 3-6 | 4-8 | 1-1 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Wilks | 15:33 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 2-6 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Brown | 9:18 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 25-76 | 23-33 | 13-41 | 14 | 20 | 76 |
Percentages: FG .329, FT .697. 3-Point Goals: 3-15, .200 (Wilks 1-1, Allen 1-4, Watson 1-4, Ridnour 0-1, Wilkins 0-2, Gelabale 0-3). Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 18 (22 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Petro 4, Wilkins, Sene). Turnovers: 17 (Wilcox 4, Allen 2, Watson 2, Wilks 2, Collison, Petro, Ridnour, Wilkins, Gelabale, Sene, Brown). Steals: 4 (Watson 2, Petro, Gelabale). Technical Fouls: None.
| L.A. Clippers | 28 | 25 | 36 | 9—98 |
| Seattle | 19 | 12 | 25 | 20—76 |
A—16,195 (17,072). T—2:12.