Brand Has a Tough Day

Elton Brand recorded his 17th double-double, but it was perhaps his toughest of the season. He scored 10 points and took 13 rebounds Sunday, but he had to maneuver through a forest of Detroit Pistons to get it done.

To be sure, life on the low post has grown increasingly difficult for Brand in recent games. But Sunday, it was almost life threatening, with the Pistons knocking Brand around as if he was a 6-foot-2 point guard instead of a 6-8 bruiser himself.

Brand made only three of eight shots, only one game after the Lakers held him to one-of-five shooting and a season-low five points in the Clippers’ 30-point loss Friday.

“I’m elated,” Brand said after the Clippers rallied to beat the Pistons, 82-77. “This is a guy who’s never been over .500 in his career. Stats don’t bother me one bit.”

Brand’s Chicago Bulls never topped the .500 mark in his two seasons there. But the Clippers are 13-11 with Brand as their new power forward.

“I don’t mind shooting only eight shots or five shots as long as we win,” said Brand, averaging a team-leading 19.4 points and 11.1 rebounds.

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For a guy who was fired by the Pistons, Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry sure sounded like an unabashed booster. Gentry praised his former team at length Sunday.

“To get out of the East, you’re going to have to go through Detroit,” he said, referring to the playoffs.

“Being 13 points down [as the Clippers were in the second half Sunday] against them is like being 25 down against most of the other teams.”

Gentry is especially impressed with guard Jerry Stackhouse.

“He’s become a real complete player,” Gentry said. “He’s changed his game to fit in better with the team. They have already won a ton of games because of him.”

Stackhouse had 26 points Sunday, but missed 17 of 27 shots because of the Clippers’ defensive pressure.

Gentry on Saturday said if he had a vote, he would vote for Detroit’s Rick Carlisle as coach of the year.

“I am surprised,” Gentry said of rallying to win. “I’ve watched them play an awful lot on TV and once they get you down, they’re really tough.”

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Center Michael Olowokandi did not score a point, but he took a career-high 13 rebounds.... Lamar Odom had a season-best 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting.... Eric Piatkowski was sidelined because of a strained right hip flexor.