Clippers winning midway battles

The Clippers reached the midpoint of the season feeling halfway better about things, the latest sign of a slight uptick coming Tuesday night during a 115-96 victory over the short-handed

Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center. Even though the Clippers’ modest three-game winning streak has come against teams with losing records and depleted rosters, they aren’t about to sweat such

details considering where they’ve been recently amid a frustrating start. Tougher tests will come soon enough, with Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey here Thursday, for whatever that’s

worth. The Nets also have a losing record. With leading scorer Michael Redd sidelined by a strained left knee, Milwaukee proved problematic for all of about a quarter as the Clippers built a

double-digit lead after 12 minutes and the Bucks never made it closer than an eight-point game the rest of the way. Clippers forward Elton Brand had 25 points, one game after springing for

a season-high 34 against Memphis, and swingman Cuttino Mobley had 22 points, including the first seven of the fourth quarter as the Clippers erased all remaining doubt by opening a 22-point

cushion. Are the Clippers on the verge of reversing their sagging fortunes? “I don’t really want to talk that fast,” Mobley said. “Every time we say something like that, something else

happens. We’ve just got to keep fighting.” Shaun Livingston returned after a two-game absence, his sprained right ankle not giving him nearly as much trouble as Bucks guard Charlie Bell, who

darted past the Clippers for an assortment of layups and pull-up jumpers on his way to 24 points. Defense seemed optional at times in the early going for a Clippers team that compensated

with 52.3% shooting and exceptional ball movement. Point guard Sam Cassell had eight of the Clippers’ 31 assists even though he played only 22 minutes. The victory pulled the Clippers

(20-21) near .500, a less-than-lofty spot, but one they haven’t been since they were 10-10 on Dec. 11. “It’s a bittersweet feeling because we feel like we shouldn’t be in that position but

we are,” Brand said. “It feels like we’re turning it around, but it’s game by game.” The Clippers also moved to within one-half game of the Minnesota Timberwolves (20-20) for the eighth and

final playoff berth in the Western Conference. Even with 41 games to play, Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said moving into playoff position would have its benefits. “We want to get there ASAP,

no question about it,” Dunleavy said before the game. “It’s never do or die until the mathematics of elimination comes in, but certainly we want to do it as soon as possible.” Livingston

looked lively, especially during a high-flying dunk in the fourth quarter that brought much of the crowd to its feet. The third-year guard finished with eight points and two assists in 21

minutes off the bench. “He moved well out on the floor,” Dunleavy said of Livingston. “He got a little fatigued, but other than that he was fine.” The Clippers built leads as large as 18

points in the second quarter, going ahead, 49-31, on a breakaway dunk by Mobley, before a flurry of jumpers by Bell briefly made it a game again. Bell had 18 points and Brand 23 by halftime

as the Clippers led, 69-58. Cassell served as a first-rate facilitator in the early going, dishing out six assists in the first quarter as the hot-shooting Clippers built a 34-24 lead

despite porous defense. The Clippers closed the quarter on an 8-0 run that included a turnaround jumper by Brand, a mid-range jumper by Quinton Ross, two free throws by Cassell and a dunk by

Brand. The Clippers shot 66.7% in the first quarter. It seemed amazing that the Bucks didn’t make more than 50% of their shots considering all the open lanes they penetrated for layups. But

with a chance to close the gap, Milwaukee shot only 36.8% in the third quarter, missed its first 10 shots in the fourth, and that was that. * [email protected] * (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

KEYS TO THE GAME * Clippers forward Elton Brand had another big game with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting. * Clippers swingman Cuttino Mobley scored the first seven points of the fourth

quarter as the Clippers opened a 24-point lead to put the game away. Mobley finished with 22 points. * The Clippers made 52.3% of their shots, including 66.7% in the first quarter as they

opened a double-digit lead. -- BEN BOLCH MORE TO READ