Clippers Hurting, Winning

Five minutes remaining, the game very much in doubt, two of their starters unable to play because of injuries, their most versatile player back in L.A. rehabilitating injuries, and the Clippers still looked poised and polished.

The Clippers had every reason to fail, but refused to play the victim down the stretch. They grew stronger with each passing minute in the fourth quarter, taking a 94-84 victory Tuesday from the Houston Rockets before an uninterested crowd of 10,293 at Compaq Center.

Down by one point, the Clippers seized control swiftly and certainly late in the game. Darius Miles made two free throws with 5:22 left. Jeff McInnis sank a jump shot, then another. Elton Brand stepped into the path of Houston guard Steve Francis, taking a charge and fouling out Francis with 3:21 to play.

Next, Brand made a layup and a free throw after he was fouled, then followed with a dunk moments later for a 92-82 lead, capping an 11-0 run that propelled the Clippers to their third victory on this five-game trip.

“We are playing with a lot of key guys out, but we are stepping up as a team,” McInnis said after the Clippers’ first winning trip of the season. “We just have to keep playing and, hopefully, good things will happen for us.”

The Clippers have latched onto a “No Excuses” mantra. So what if center Michael Olowokandi was out because of a sprained left knee. Big deal if small forwards Corey Maggette (hand and concussion) and Lamar Odom (wrist and ankle) could not play.

The Clippers were determined Tuesday, drawing within one game of the .500 mark at 29-30. What’s more, they improved to 14-16 during a stretch in which they played 21 of 30 games away from Staples Center.

Significant contributions came from everywhere, including center Obinna Ekezie, who started in place of Olowokandi and scored 11 points in 24 minutes.

But, wait, there was more. Rookie Tremaine Fowlkes started at small forward and scored eight points in 20 minutes. Reserve center Sean Rooks had eight points and seven rebounds and backup point guard Earl Boykins added six points.

Those four players combined to make 15 of 21 shots (71.4%).

Oh yeah, and Brand had 26 points and 15 rebounds.

In his last four games on the trip, Brand averaged 23.8 points and 18.5 rebounds. And to think, he has been playing with a stretched tendon in his right ring finger, which hampers his ballhandling.

“Elton is playing as well as anybody in the league right now,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said. “But, I’m telling you, it’s a good team win for us. We’re plugging guys into the starting lineup that most people have never heard of.”

To be sure, the Clippers were not facing the future NBA champions in the Rockets, who were without four key players. What’s more, the Clippers pretty much owned the paint, outrebounding the Rockets, 41-29. They also had 22 second-chance points to only eight for Houston.

But the Clippers’ most impressive accomplishment was shutting down Francis, fouling him out and muzzling the other Rockets down the stretch. First and foremost, the Clippers extended their defense, refusing to allow Francis and fellow guard Cuttino Mobley a running start toward the basket.

When Francis picked up his fifth foul, the Clippers funneled him toward the basket and Brand stepped into his path. Without Francis, who fouled out with 25 points, the Rockets faltered. The Clippers outscored the Rockets, 15-4, in the final 6:04.

“The Clippers are really getting their chemistry together, and Elton Brand shows why he is an All-Star,” Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “They’re not buying into that negativity that used to surround the Clippers. They’re going to change. They are a good team.”

In fact, as the Clippers showed in Monday’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and Tuesday against the Rockets, they have come to rely more on substance over style. They made the simple plays, forgoing the flashy ones.

“We’ve got to build on these last two games and try to get a win Saturday,” McInnis said, referring to playing against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. “We’ve got to get to .500 again and get off this roller coaster we’ve been on.”