Williams Ignores House Rules, Clippers Win : Pro basketball: In first visit back to Denver, center gets 15 points, 17 rebounds against Mutombo, 107-92.

The cheers for Clipper center Brian Williams, who spent the last two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, began before the national anthem was finished.

“Go, Brian!” a fan shouted as the anthem singer was hitting the final notes.

“We miss you, B.W.,” a fan behind the Clipper bench shouted as Williams was introduced.

Playing here for the first time since the draft-day deal that sent him to the Clippers, Williams had 15 points and tied his career high with 17 rebounds as the Clippers beat the Nuggets, 107-92, Saturday night before 15,922 at McNichols Arena.

“I wanted to come in and tell [Nugget center Dikembe] Mutombo that man does not fly in the House of Mutombo,” Williams said, mimicking Mutombo’s voice. “Man does not rebound in the House of Williams. I wanted to get every rebound. I wanted to get 20 rebounds. I almost walked into their locker room just out of habit. I took a step in that direction and then I turned around. I really wasn’t thinking about [returning here] until I got such an ovation from the crowd. That made me feel really good.”

Mutombo, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots, downplayed facing Williams.

“I think it was nothing special to play against Williams,” Mutombo said. “I will not try to get into a controversy with Brian. They played very well today and they won the ballgame; that’s all I will say. It wasn’t a matter of rebounding; we just couldn’t shoot the ball well (39.5%).”

Williams, who was acquired along with forward Rodney Rogers and Oregon State guard Brent Barry for Alabama forward Antonio McDyess, center Elmore Spencer and guard Randy Woods, was surprised by the trade. The Nuggets waived Spencer and Woods last week.

“Was I hurt by it?” Williams asked. “I was a little bewildered. I knew from the start it was a three-for-one trade. And the fact that [Spencer and Woods] were just waived and I was theoretically traded for Elmore Spencer . . . they might as well have said I got traded for a case of Bengay and a dozen water bottles.

“There was no bitterness. I just think however good Antonio McDyess gets, I don’t think he’s going to offset what me, Barry and Rodney can do for L.A.”

Williams, who rented during his first two seasons in Denver, bought a house just before he was traded.

“Nobody lives there, just the rats and the mice,” Williams said. “I didn’t go by to check on it because there’s nothing to check on.”

Williams, who had 19 points and eight rebounds as the Clippers beat the Nuggets by five points in their first meeting last month at the Sports Arena, has averaged 17 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games against Denver.

“He had a lot of incentive tonight,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said of Williams. “He didn’t come back with revenge, he came back because he liked this place and he wanted to play good. If you come back angry, like you’re going to get even with somebody, then you’ll never be worth [anything]. He wanted to look good in front of his friends.”

Forward Loy Vaught, the Clippers’ leading scorer and rebounder, had his 16th double-double of the season, getting 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Clippers (10-16) won their second consecutive game.

Point guard Pooh Richardson, who was sidelined for the first month of the season because of a foot injury, made eight of 12 shots and scored 17 points.

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Clipper Notes

Guard Brent Barry played only three minutes before he left because of a sore heel. . . . Nugget forward Don MacLean sat out the final three quarters because of a sprained right ankle.