Clippers fall hard to Rockets

He rose and as he did, so did a growing applause from the audience. For a faithful flock with few moments to earnestly cheer for this season, this was one.

Elton Brand shed his warmup suit a little earlier Sunday, making his first start of the season in his home debut.

It was a beacon of light drifting along the highway of a dark season. Then a train came through it.

In a wisp, the Clippers were again short-handed. And again steamrollered, 105-79, by the Houston Rockets, who clinched a Western Conference playoff spot at Staples Center before 17,932.

Brand scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 36 minutes, his first home game since last April and his third game since returning from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

He provided a formidable front-court tandem with Josh Powell, active throughout the evening in securing a career-high 22 points along with 10 rebounds.

It was a welcome-back night for Brand, but also a setback for Corey Maggette.

He strained his right hamstring early in the first quarter on a drive to the rim and missed the rest of the game.

“Hopefully it’ll be a couple of games and I’ll be back in there,” Maggette said. “One guy comes in, one guy goes out. It’s just irritating.”

The Clippers (23-54) were done in by the same fashion replayed in many other losses.

They met point guards that were too quick, they trailed one step too many behind an open shooter and they were eventually too small underneath.

Over the top?

Luther Head, Bobby Jackson and Aaron Brooks accelerated their way to a combined 45 points. They overcame a poor shooting night from Tracy McGrady, who made only five of his 16 shots for 13 points and the absence of starting point guard Rafer Alston to his own hamstring injury.

Underneath?

The Rockets (52-25) bullied the Clippers in rebounds, 51-33, and converted 22 free throws to the Clippers’ eight.

“I am a little bit disappointed,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “They are a really good team and they played really well all year long and are heading to the playoffs, but I am disappointed about how badly we got beat on the boards.”

The Clippers never seriously threatened after the first quarter and their starting backcourt of Brevin Knight and Quinton Ross went scoreless in eight attempts.

But there was Brand finally home again, marked with the ovation and a welcome-back video that ran at a first-quarter timeout.

It took him 19 seconds to collect his first rebound. About 3 1/2 to block his first shot.

His first couple attempts were awry, but his first made shot on his home court was something familiar, a 16-foot jump shot form the left baseline.

“It felt horrible because we lost,” Brand said. “It’s ironic because I come back and Corey strained a hamstring. We can’t catch a break. We’re just trying to show our fans that we are going to work hard every play and turn this [team] into a winning franchise again.”

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Tim Thomas missed his fifth consecutive game because of his Achilles’ tendons ailing… . Chris Kaman sat out his third straight game with a sprained right ankle.

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com