Clippers Give Heat a Brand Spanking

The Miami Heat is a different team without injured center Shaquille O’Neal, and the Clippers aren’t the same either.

They’ve changed for the better and continued to build on their success Monday night in a 99-89 victory over the Heat at Staples Center.

Forward Elton Brand scored a season-high 37 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds for his 11th double-double, and point guard Sam Cassell contributed 18 points and a game-high 13 assists as the Clippers improved to 7-1 on their home court.

The impressive performances from Brand and Cassell helped the Clippers (12-5) overcome a subpar outing from forward Corey Maggette, who scored 13 points, missed 11 of his 13 field-goal attempts and was sidelined at the end of the third quarter because of a sprained left foot.

X-rays were negative and Maggette was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam today, Coach Mike Dunleavy said.

Although Maggette’s injury somewhat tempered the Clippers’ excitement about the victory, they did many things well against the Heat (10-8), which has not played with O’Neal, sidelined because of a sprained right ankle, since its second game.

Brand’s production was the best news for the Clippers, and it’s a familiar story.

“Tonight was a big win, especially against a team as good as the Miami Heat,” center Chris Kaman said. “Everybody played great, and E.B. shot the ball extremely well. Obviously, he had a great night.”

Brand made 16 of 23 shots from the field and also matched his season high with six blocked shots. He scored eight points and assisted on another basket during a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter, helping the Clippers take command, 90-77, with 7:48 remaining.

Cassell controlled the tempo, which limited the Clippers’ turnovers to 12. Reserve forward-center Chris Wilcox also had a strong game, scoring four points and grabbing seven rebounds.

The Heat had only 11 turnovers, guard Dwyane Wade scored 29 points and center Alonzo Mourning had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. But Miami shot 40.2% and Brand and Cassell were too much to handle.

“They totally dominated us,” Coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Regardless of who’s in an opponent’s lineup, the Clippers now have an expectation of success.

“No doubt,” Brand said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we know how we should play.

“As long as we do what we’re supposed to do, we feel like we can get the job done. That’s just the confidence we have as a group.”

That’s Dunleavy’s view.

“I’ve said all along that I expected this,” the coach said. “We have an understanding of what we want to do.”

It starts with Cassell. He has assumed responsibility for helping to keep the Clippers on course, and Dunleavy has relied on him to set the tone.

“Mike expects so much from us, and I think it’s the first year that he really has that feeling it’s something special,” Cassell said. “He has the right to feel that way because he’s been around for a long, long time, coaching and playing the game. He understands what it’s going to take for us to be successful.”

The process is still evolving.

“The talent we have and the chemistry we have -- people thought there was going to be a chemistry problem between us,” Cassell said. “But we’ve really enjoyed playing with one another, and it shows on the court.

“We criticize each other but we help each other out on the basketball court. If I see something that Mike sees and wants to make his point, he’ll come to me. My job is to tell the guys and get it right, so then that keeps him off my back and keeps me off their backs.”