CONDITIONED RESPONSE

And on Friday, Elton Brand rested.

Well, sort of.

Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy canceled practice after Thursday’s 118-106 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center, but the All-Star power forward said he awoke early Friday and planned to spend part of the day shooting in the gym.

With the team preparing for the first Game 7 in Clippers history, Brand said he could catch up on his sleep later.

“You know, it’s good Coach gave us a little break; I know guys can use it because we’ve been going real hard, but I’m really not tired,” Brand said Friday in a phone interview. “Maybe it’s the excitement of the games and everything, but I feel good, so I just want to try to stay as sharp as possible right now.”

The seven-year veteran has never played better, extending his personal-best season into the playoffs.

In his first postseason experience, Brand is averaging 24.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.73 blocked shots through 11 games. He’s shooting 54.3% from the field and 73.6% at the free-throw line.

He again led the Clippers in their biggest moment of the season, scoring 30 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking five shots to help them stave off elimination Thursday and even the best-of-seven conference semifinals series at 3-3. Game 7 is Monday night at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

“I know a lot of people probably didn’t think we’d get here, but it’s like I’ve been saying all along: Our confidence hasn’t wavered,” Brand said. “It’s not that we don’t respect Phoenix, we definitely have respect for them, but as long as we do the things the coaches tell us, execute and play our game, we’ll be OK.”

Against the Suns in this round, Brand has increased his scoring average to 30 points -- on 58.5% shooting -- despite double- and triple-team schemes designed to contain the Clippers’ No. 1 option on offense. Brand also played a key role in eliminating the Denver Nuggets in five games in a first-round series.

“When we had our last meeting after last season, we sat down and talked about his conditioning and getting better, and this is what that was all about,” Dunleavy said Friday in a conference call with reporters. “Elton Brand is playing into late May right now, and looking as fresh as somebody who’s coming into training camp.

“He’s in great shape, great condition, and performing at high levels ... incredibly high levels playing huge minutes in games. It’s a testament to how hard he worked, and how he’s kept it up during the season.”

Brand was selected All-NBA for the first time. He made the second team after averaging 24.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.54 blocks in 79 games. Dominique Wilkins, who made the third team in 1993-94, was the last Clipper selected All-NBA.

“I’m just so happy for Elton, because whatever Elton gets he deserves,” point guard Sam Cassell said recently. “From the first day I got here, I said we’re only going to go as far as ‘Horse’ takes us, and we’re riding him right now.”

This season, the Clippers had their highest victory total since the franchise moved to California, set a franchise record for road victories, made their first playoff appearance in nine seasons and won a postseason series for the first time in 30 years.

The Buffalo Braves, who became the Clippers, lost to the Washington Bullets in Game 7 of the 1975 Eastern Conference semifinals, but Monday’s decisive game against Phoenix is more new territory for this group.

“Yeah, we haven’t been in this position before, but we’re not the same team that started the playoffs,” Brand said. “We’ve already won a playoff series, we won facing elimination and we’re getting ready to play a Game 7.

“We’ve learned about the intensity of every game, the importance of everything, and we’ve kept battling. We feel we can win.”

In the seventh game of best-of-seven series, teams with home-court advantage have won 81.7% of the time.

And the Suns traveled this path recently on their home court, having routed the Lakers in Game 7 of their first-round series.

“We know it’s not going to be easy, and we probably have to win to finally make people believe we’re not those same old Clippers who went 30 years without winning a playoff series,” Brand said. “None of that had anything to do with us, and we’ve worked real hard to get here.”