Davis isn’t caught up in facing Brand

Man hugs, real hugs and mutual admiration take place between opponents just before an NBA tipoff. All this male bonding and all that’s missing are the cigars.

Which brings us to the Clippers’ Baron Davis and the 76ers’ Elton Brand. So will they hug, exchange pleasantries or even lock eyes before tonight’s game?

“I’ve got nothing to say to him,” Davis said on Wednesday.

This was in the visitors’ locker room at Oklahoma City, not long after the Clippers beat the Thunder by 20 points. The mention of Brand quickly wiped away Davis’ smile, especially because he just had been talking about Oklahoma City’s Earl Watson, saying he regards Watson like “a brother.”

Davis hasn’t spoken to Brand, and said he doesn’t plan to do so, because the former Clipper recruited Davis to come join him in Los Angeles and then Brand did a quick cut and run, heading East for a bigger bag of money, a five-year deal worth almost $80 million.

The dizzying turn of events in July was stunning even by Clippers standards. All the elements of a superstar buddy movie -- Brand saying he’d take less to get Davis to come to the Clippers -- turned into what was perceived as a betrayal.

And the point guard was left out in the cold.

Well, metaphorically speaking.

Brand, for his part, was playing down the special meaning of his first game against his former team after his own game on Wednesday. Brand had a double-double (19 points and 13 rebounds) in the 76ers’ loss at Minnesota

“There will be only because it’s a team coming in that doesn’t have a great record and we let one slip tonight,” Brand said. “I can’t worry about individual stuff.”

Still, who would have thought back in June that an ordinary Clippers-Philadelphia game in November would stir interest?

“There’s always going to be a little more buildup for someone who’s left their team,” Philadelphia Coach Maurice Cheeks told reporters Wednesday. “Always. No matter how you leave there’s always going to be buildup on both sides.”

The Clippers have been answering questions about Brand since July. Chris Kaman has kept in touch with him (as has Cuttino Mobley) and acknowledged it will be “a little different” playing against Brand.

Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy has rehashed the turn of events last summer -- and is still wanting for answers. “Elton had a great five years here. I loved him,” he said. “There’s a disappointment because you just don’t understand. He and I text messaged and called and never went, either one of us, usually 10 to 15 minutes without calling or returning a text. And then next thing I know it went silent.”

Dunleavy was asked what would happen if he ran into Brand in the hallway before the game. “If we don’t speak, it’s not because of me not wanting to speak to him,” he said. “There’s not going to be any love lost from my standpoint.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com