Bulls Perfect for the Clippers

As going-away presents go, the arrival of the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on Tuesday was just the thing to lift the Clippers’ spirits as they prepared to depart on their longest trip in as long as anyone could remember.

Oh, those throwback uniforms from the 1978-79 season, the Clippers’ first in California, were pretty sweet too. But there’s nothing like 48 minutes of the bumbling Bulls to bring smiles and good cheer to any opponent.

The Clippers took all the Bulls had to give, which was plenty, and seized a 102-92 victory before 15,298 in Staples Center, leading from start to finish.

Corey Maggette had 28 points on 10-for-13 shooting, Elton Brand had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Quentin Richardson had 18 points as the Clippers beat the Bulls for the seventh consecutive time.

Next stop: Miami.

Then it’s on to Orlando, Atlanta and Boston, Washington, New York, Minnesota and Memphis.

That’s eight games in 13 nights, the team’s longest trip in 14 years, according to the Clippers.

“Not since AAU,” said Brand, referring to his traveling youth-league games in New York, when asked if he had taken a trip like the upcoming one. “We can make or break our season with this trip. If we win some we can get back in the race.”

Given their 4-13 road record, which includes narrow defeats Saturday at Seattle and Monday at Utah, the Clippers needed a jolt of energy before beginning their cross-country sojourn. So they moved past the Bulls with a sense of purpose, passing the ball to open teammates who had better shots and pleasing Coach Mike Dunleavy.

“This was our getaway game heading into our trip,” Dunleavy said. “It’s good to get some momentum.”

The Clippers faltered a bit at the end, but by then the game was out of reach, with the Bulls unable to rally closer than 10 points in the fourth quarter. Eddie Robinson led the Bulls with 17 points on eight-for-nine shooting in 29 minutes off the bench.

“We knew they had no answer for E.B. down there,” said Richardson, speaking of Brand, who also had five assists and four blocked shots in 41 minutes. “We tried to go inside out and Corey stepped up big.”

Brand had 11 points and Maggette 10 in the first quarter as the Clippers took control and, except for a few ragged moments in the second and fourth quarters, never let Chicago into the game.

When it got tighter than Dunleavy had hoped late in the game, with the Bulls trimming a 19-point Clipper lead to 92-80 midway through the fourth quarter, the starters put the game away for good.

“It was one of those games where I wasn’t going to mess around,” Dunleavy said of keeping his starters on the floor for such long stretches late. “They got it to 10 or 12 points and that was close enough for me. I want to see us play smart, get good shot selection and be in every game when we go on the road.”

The only uncertain moments Tuesday were when Dunleavy went to his bench to start the second quarter.

The Clippers lost their edge, their touch and very nearly their lead.

The Bulls drew within 43-39 late in the second before Maggette made two free throws, Richardson sank a three-pointer from the right wing and Maggette made one from the left to keep the Clippers safely ahead.

All things considered, a 51-43 halftime advantage was to be expected, especially considering the Bulls’ standing as the Eastern Conference’s second-to-last-place team going into the game.

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Rookie center Chris Kaman and second-year point guard Marko Jaric were selected to play in the NBA rookie challenge, two days before the Feb. 15 All-Star game at Staples Center. “It’s nice for them to be on a national stage and people can see them play,” Dunleavy said.