Maggette Won’t Be Available

Three weeks ago, while nursing a hamstring injury and coming off the bench to play limited minutes, Corey Maggette expressed dissatisfaction in his role as sixth man.

His injury healed, he became a starter and boosted his scoring average to 21.7 points.

Now the Clippers will have to do without him for at least one game. Maggette sprained a ligament in his left foot in the third quarter of Monday night’s 99-89 victory over the Miami Heat.

An MRI exam Tuesday revealed no further damage, but Maggette is doubtful for tonight’s game against the New York Knicks and will be day to day thereafter. Coach Mike Dunleavy said it would “take a miraculous recovery” for Maggette to be able to play tonight.

“It takes one of our big options out, but we’ll just have to deal with it,” Dunleavy said.

Defensive specialist Quinton Ross will again start at small forward.

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What’s gotten into Elton Brand, who seems to improve every outing and had a season-high 37 points, plus 12 rebounds, against the Heat?

A major factor has been his conditioning. Brand, at 6 feet 8 and 254 pounds, says he shed 12 pounds during summer workouts. Previous summers, he added, were spent rehabilitating injuries.

“This summer I felt great,” he said. “I just had the entire summer to work on my game, work on my conditioning and work on being the best basketball player I can be.”

Brand is ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring with a 24.9-point average. But he’s the only player in the top 10 shooting better than 50%. His .566 field-goal percentage is the NBA’s third-best.

He ranks sixth in blocked shots with an average of 2.76 a game, and seventh in rebounding with 10.6 a game.

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TONIGHT

vs. New York, 7:30, FSN West 2

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Clippers 12-5, Knicks 6-11.

Record vs. the Knicks (2004-05) -- 1-1.

Update -- Former Clipper Quentin Richardson has left the Knicks amid reports his brother was shot and killed in Chicago. Richardson missed Tuesday’s victory over Seattle.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849 or Clippers.com.