Clippers Break Up House Party

The Clippers took no particular delight in ending the New Orleans Hornets’ extended housewarming party Monday. They were willing to overlook their many shortcomings too.

What counted most of all to them were the final numbers on the scoreboard: Clippers 94, Hornets 90.

A victory over one of the league’s better teams was something to excite the Clippers, who have a season-best three-game winning streak going into tonight’s game against the 18-2 Mavericks at Dallas. The end of the Hornets’ 11-game winning streak at New Orleans Arena was left for others to ponder by game’s end.

Even stoic point guard Andre Miller let go with a broad smile as he and the Clippers ran from the floor with the final buzzer ringing in their ears.

“The best thing we did was come down here two days early,” Coach Alvin Gentry said of the Clippers’ hasty departure Saturday from Staples Center after thumping the Minnesota Timberwolves by 16 points. “The guys got it out of their system.”

If any Clippers were spotted along Bourbon Street on game day, it was merely because they were on their way to finding an intriguing place for lunch. Monday evening, the Clippers were all business.

The Hornets (15-7) made several strong runs at the Clippers after falling behind by double digits in the second quarter and trailing, 43-35, at halftime. New Orleans surged into the lead, 78-75, on Stacey Augmon’s jump shot with 5:25 remaining in the game. The rally faded after that.

Marko Jaric sank a jump shot from the corner. Elton Brand made another, then dropped in a left-handed hook and made two free throws. And then one more.

During the run, New Orleans countered with a three-point shot from Baron Davis, who would make all six of his fourth-quarter shots en route to 33 points, his season best, by game’s end. Davis fouled out with 40.1 seconds to play, however.

“It was fun,” Brand said. “I saw they were up three. I’m open, I’ll shoot. Don’t hesitate. As coach says, ‘If I’m stupid enough to have you on the floor, then you have to be stupid enough to shoot it when you’re open.’ ”

Brand’s season best of 29 points in 46 minutes, plus 16 from backup shooting guard Quentin Richardson, plus a second consecutive standout defensive showing from Tremaine Fowlkes (this time on Jamal Mashburn) put the Clippers in a position to win for the ninth time in 21 games.

Miller, playing on a badly sprained left ankle, helped seal the deal by making six of six free throws during crunch time and 10 of 10 for the game. He had 18 points and eight assists in 35 minutes.

“No, he’s probably only 75 or 80%,” Gentry bellowed when asked if Miller’s ankle, sprained after a collision with Sacramento’s Bobby Jackson on Nov. 29, had improved.

“Tough as nails,” Brand said of Miller, who sat out only the Clippers’ loss Dec. 1 against the Indiana Pacers. “He’s doing big things for us. Hitting free throws. Making passes. Giving us good defense.”

Bum ankle and all, Miller did what he could against Davis, who may soon need back surgery. In fact, Davis said after the game he didn’t know if he could play Monday.

But there he was in the fourth quarter, wheeling and dealing and dropping shots into the basket from all angles.

Davis was the only Hornet clicking, however, and a good deal of that was because of Fowlkes’ defensive play against Mashburn.

One game after limiting Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett to 19 points on 13 shots, Fowlkes held Mashburn to 15 points on five-for-20 shooting.

The Clippers switched from man-to-man defense to a zone and back again repeatedly, forcing the Hornets to the perimeter, where they made nine of 30 three-pointers. The Clippers outshot the Hornets, 45.2% to 42.7%, and outrebounded them by a whopping 46-31.

“I don’t think we handled it well,” New Orleans Coach Paul Silas said of the Clippers’ defensive pressure. “Then we could never really get in sync. Our jumpers were not falling, and we kept shooting them.”