Clippers Get Help in Time

Friday night brought another Clipper injury, their third in five days, and also another shrug, as in, “What, us worry?”

Their most heralded off-season pickup, Kerry Kittles, again was unavailable after suffering a hyper-extended right knee Tuesday in practice, 24 hours after top draft pick Shaun Livingston had suffered a dislocated right kneecap that is expected to keep him sidelined for at least the next two months.

And then their leading scorer suffered a sprained left ankle.

But with Corey Maggette watching from the bench for most of the last three quarters, the Clippers still were able to hold off the Golden State Warriors, 98-87, in front of 16,564 at the Arena in Oakland.

An unlikely pair of offensive catalysts carried them down the stretch to their second victory in two nights, journeyman point guard Rick Brunson making all five of his shots and scoring 10 of his season-high 12 points in the fourth quarter and rookie guard Quinton Ross scoring 10 fourth-quarter points.

“When guys go down, this is a team; everyone has a role on the team,” said Brunson, who also had four assists to help the Clippers to 70% fourth-quarter shooting. “You can’t sit there and feel sorry for each other.

“This is a man’s league and you have to step up. And guys like myself, we have to step up. We’re hungry to play. We ain’t sitting over there not wanting to play. If somebody goes down, you’ve got to step up and be ready to play.”

Elton Brand and Bobby Simmons each scored 17 points to lead the Clippers -- Simmons also taking a career-high 12 rebounds -- but they took a back seat to Brunson and Ross in the fourth quarter.

Ross, more noted as a defender, made seven of nine shots, five of seven in the fourth quarter, en route to a season-high 14 points.

“We had great play from our bench,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “Quinton Ross was great. Rick Brunson was great. Everybody that came in really gave us a nice lift.”

Not great were the Warriors, who made only 39% of their shots but briefly held the lead in the third quarter before the Clippers hit them with a 10-2 quarter-ending run, then turned to their reserve strength in the last 12 minutes.

Six games into a month-long stretch in which they will play 12 of 13 games in Staples Center, the Clippers are 3-3 after ending a three-game losing streak Thursday night with a 101-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets.

For the Clippers to have a legitimate chance to reach the playoffs, Dunleavy said last week, they’ll have to emerge from this soft spot on their schedule with a record that was at least three games above .500.

“We’re fine,” Dunleavy said before the game. “But we need to win the games we’re supposed to win.”

That would include games against teams such as the struggling Warriors, against whom they’ll square off again Sunday in Staples Center.

The Clippers held them off despite the absence of Maggette, who landed awkwardly after fouling Mickael Pietrus late in the first quarter. Pietrus made the three-point shot, then added a free throw for a four-point play.

Maggette returned in the third quarter but left after three minutes.

X-rays on his ankle were negative, and he will be re-evaluated before Sunday’s game.