Clippers’ loss proves familiar

For nearly a season Elton Brand watched and wrenched as Corey Maggette and Chris Kaman fought fruitlessly to keep the Clippers afloat.

The roles were reversed Tuesday with Brand taking the court in reduced roulette and Maggette (hamstring) and Kaman (ankle) sidelined.

Things were not easier on the other side, as the Clippers lost, 117-99, to the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

Brand scored 11 points in the second quarter, en route to 17 points and five rebounds in 35 minutes. Cuttino Mobley scored a team-high 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting.

The Nuggets, however, essentially won the game in Brand’s best quarter, scoring 40 points in the second, the most of any opponent all season.

“It’s disappointing,” Brand said. “We can’t seem to catch a break and get everybody healthy.”

Brand, in his fourth game since missing 74 because of a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, is obviously still working himself into playing mode. As Coach Mike Dunleavy recently said, “Where were double and triple teams in his rehab?”

Still, it was fan appreciation night with Brand addressing the crowd before the game and acknowledging the hardships of the season. Next year, they may most appreciate a contending team.

Brand is back, but the year will ultimately be recorded as injury riddled and disappointing -- players have missed a combined 305 games to injuries.

Their high lottery pick is virtually assured but probably out of range to draft either of the top prospects -- Kansas State’s Michael Beasley or Memphis’ Derrick Rose, should they declare.

“Best player. Whatever position that is,” was all Dunleavy was willing to illuminate on the draft plans.

Meanwhile, Denver (47-31), kept pace for a Thursday showdown against the Golden State Warriors. The teams are tied for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points to match an opponent season high and often overmatched his smaller defenders.

“We played a good quarter and a half and then we really didn’t have an answer for Carmelo tonight,” Dunleavy said.

Anthony swapped scoring duties with Allen Iverson (21 points and nine assists). An alley-oop was tossed into Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby every once in a while for good measure.

“Being out in the West, it may not be good enough, but we just need to keep going,” Iverson said.

“We are in a Halley’s comet year,” Nuggets Coach George Karl said. “Once every 99 years.”

The Clippers have only one home game left, Thursday against the Lakers. They then finish on the road against the Warriors, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets -- all teams still marching to a playoff beat.

------

Maggette missed his 11th game of the season and is listed as day to day.

He knows all about trying to shoulder the load. His 22.2 points are 11th in the league, but often the efforts only result in another loss.

“It’s been real tough because you’ve got to step up as much as you can,” he said. “And then through this whole season, we’ve had guys in and out. We really didn’t have a consistent lineup this whole year. Then our other strong force, Chris Kaman went out and that was a big blow for us.

“Now we are really small. Our biggest guy was Tim Thomas. We were trying to battle guys seven feet. Trying to box these guys out and it was tough.

“It’s been tough for me trying to run around and box guys out and they were bulldozing you and shooting over your head like you weren’t even there.”

------

Thomas returned after missing five games with a sore Achilles’. He scored seven points in 21 minutes, shooting only two for 10. . . . The Clippers used their 35th different starting lineup of the season. At 6 feet 8, Brand was their tallest starter. . . . A game after scoring a career-high 22 points, Josh Powell ended with only two points in 13 minutes.

--

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com