It’s a Brand New Day for Elton

Elton Brand tried his best to make his homecoming seem like no big deal, but then he let it slip how much he loves being a Clipper.

“It was 74 degrees when we left L.A. on Tuesday and it was, what, 14 and snowing here?” Brand told reporters after the team practiced Thursday morning at Moody Bible Institute. “When I was pulling on my hat and my gloves today, I was saying how I don’t really miss it that much.”

Brand was a Chicago Bull for two trying seasons, winning 17 games as a rookie in 1999-2000 and 15 last season, before he was traded last summer to the Clippers for the draft rights to Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner. He said he rarely follows his former team and communicates infrequently with his old teammates.

Plus, there aren’t that many of them left. Tim Floyd was fired as coach and replaced by Bill Cartwright and only four players remain from last season’s roster, including Marcus Fizer.

“Brad Miller used to call me and say, ‘Hey, we won,’” Brand said. “But he’s not here anymore [after a trade last month with the Indiana Pacers]. I still talk to Marcus some on the two-way pager. I try not to put myself in a Bulls’ uniform anymore. I’ve moved on.”

Asked about the sort of reaction he expects from Bull fans tonight, Brand joked, “Reception-wise I should get the 21/2-minute Jordan ovation.”

Then, in a more serious tone, he acknowledged he might hear a few boos once the game begins.

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Quentin Richardson, a Chicago native who played at DePaul, bought 100 tickets for family and friends for tonight’s game. Darius Miles, who hails from East St. Louis, Ill., bought 25. Brand purchased eight.... Richardson suffered a bruised right thigh during practice and his status for tonight was termed questionable.

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TONIGHT

at Chicago, 5:30 PST

Site--United Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Clippers 30-31, Bulls 16-45.

Record vs. Bulls--1-0.

Update--After winning three in a row, the Bulls have lost five of six. Chandler, a former standout at Compton Dominguez High, has been sidelined for three games because of a hyperextended left little finger and is listed as doubtful. The Clippers have defeated the Bulls in three in a row.