Jackson will join the Los Angeles Clippers after a short six game stint in the D-League, in which he averaged 12.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 31 minutes per game. Jackson shot an outstanding 53% the field and 58% from behind the arc. Sources close to the situation tell us he will sign a 10-day contract and meet the Clippers in Oklahoma City for their away game on Monday.

The Clippers are currently suffering from numerous injuries on the perimeter, as Corey Maggette (ankle), Cuttino Mobley (elbow) and Sam Cassell (heel) are all day-to-day at the moment. Los Angeles is also one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at just 31.1%, an area that Jackson can help them out greatly in if he can get off the bench. The Clippers lost Saturday to the Atlanta Hawks by 12 points, and were forced to play Tim Thomas 44 minutes at the small forward position. Thomas was the only player on the team to attempt a 3-pointer all night, knocking down 3 of 9 from behind the arc.

The Clippers had an opportunity to sign their 2006 second round draft pick Guillermo Diaz after he decided not to return to his team from the Czech Republic, Nymburk, following his Christmas vacation, but apparently declined.

The eight-game skid was Atlanta's longest since losing the first nine games of the 2005-06 season. The Hawks had losing streaks of 13 and 14 games in their 13-win season in 2004-05.

Only four players scored in double figures. Elton Brand led the Clippers with 26 points, including 12 in the first quarter, and Tim Thomas had 14.

The Clippers' only lead was 8-6, but the Hawks could not pull away. The final margin matched Atlanta's largest lead, a 60-48 advantage in the third quarter.

The Clippers attacked inside with Brand from their first possession and kept passing to the power forward. Brand's first four points came on free throws after drawing fouls on Pachulia and Shelden Williams.

When the Hawks stopped fouling, Brand kept scoring. Brand scored the Clippers' first 12 points. No other Los Angeles player scored until a follow shot by Quinton Ross with 2:33 left in the opening period.

Johnson almost matched Brand with 11 first-quarter points, and the Hawks had better balance to lead 25-16 at the end of the period and 42-36 at halftime.

Atlanta pulled ahead by 12 points on a basket by Johnson with 4:41 left in the third quarter, but the Clippers finished the quarter with an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 64-59.

The Clippers fell to 0-11 on the road when trailing after three quarters. ^Notes: Clippers G Corey Maggette, the team's top reserve and second-leading scorer, was on the inactive list because of a sore left foot. The Clippers also were without G Sam Cassell, who was in uniform but did not play due to a sore heel. ... Hawks F Dijon Thompson, who signed with the team Saturday, was in uniform but did not play.

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"We caught a team that was really short-handed," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "This was a game we were supposed to win and our guys played well."

Corey Maggette had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Quinton Ross scored 13 points, and Daniel Ewing and Shaun Livingston each added 12 for the Clippers (15-17), who improved to 3-11 on the road.

Riley's absence, combined with the pregame deactivation of forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey over their failure to meet team body-fat standards, only added to the dark cloud hovering over the Heat.

And the Clippers happily exploited Miami's depth issues.

"We prepared as if Wade and those guys were playing, just in case," Brand said.

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For starters, Elton Brand had a season high 32 points with 6 rebounds and a career high 8 blocks. The Clippers defense, which continues to make a comeback, had a total of 16 blocks which you would think would be some sort of record for the Clips. They held Curry to 15 points to lead the Knicks who only shot 34% from the floor

Chris Kaman only had 8 points but contributed 13 rebounds, 4 offensive. Cat had 11 and Shaun Livingston had 15 points and 7 assists.

Corey Maggette had another one of his efficient games scoring 14 points, 4 rebs (2 offensive), 4 assists, 1 steal, and hit all 8 of his free throws in only 24 minutes.

If you were looking for a sign that the Clippers are truely on their way back, this game might be one of those steps moving forward. They shot 51% from the field, but only 36% from the 3. They were excellant from the free throw line at 95%. But it was the defense and the 16 blocked shots that will be the key to winning more in the future. Now they hed back out on the road. So let's see how they due. Next up, Tuesday night they are in Orlando.

JamFan

"The streak's over," Brand said. "There's no better time to win than right now. We've been struggling, so it's a big win for us."

Los Angeles had lost seven of its last nine and 14 of 20.

The game between Western Conference underachievers included the disgruntled duo of Maggette and Sacramento's Ron Artest, who was held to five points and three rebounds after scoring 28 in the Kings' win last month over the Clippers.

There have been reports that Sacramento may deal Artest to the Clippers for Maggette, who is unhappy about his playing time and has asked his agent to pursue a trade.

"I don't know how true those rumors were, but I was able to focus," Artest said. "Sac's been good to me. I enjoy it. But it's always good to know that another organization wants you. I know Tim Thomas, Elton Brand is a good friend of mine and Corey Maggette's a good friend of mine."

Maggette came in averaging 14.8 points -- his lowest since 2001-02. He added seven rebounds and hit all seven of his free throws.

He didn't appear at his locker to speak with reporters afterward.

"Just because something is on TV or in the rumor mill, it's not anything until it happens," Brand said. "I've been talking to the guys about being professional like they are, especially Corey Maggette, just coming out and playing his game and not worried about that stuff because he can't change it."

Brand has been fielding questions about what it would be like to play with Artest.

"Until something happens, I'm worried about the players I have," he said. "I'd rather have Michael Jordan in his hey (day) if I'm just going to speculate."

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The Clippers were led by Tim Thomas with 25 points, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Elton Brand also had 25 points hitting 11 of 15 shots from the floor. Corey Maggette had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 2 steals in only 23 minutes. Yeah, that sounds like a guy who minutes should be reduced or traded away.

This game goes to show what happens when we are hitting our shots and playing great defense. It just that it hasn't happened that much this season. It is also evidence that what Elgin needs to do is tell Dumleavy and Corey that he is not going to be trade Maggette, and that they better just find a way to get along. Dumleavy need to insert Maggette permanatly into the starting lineup and sit Q or Cat to begin the game. Corey is outplaying both of them put together. Moreover, they can use other players, two first round draft picks, and Rebraca's expiring contract to go out and get a great outside shooter. Using one of our first round picks is a luxury we can afford to give because we have our own first round picks the next couple of years and also own the rights to Minnesotas, which could end up to be a valuable commodity. We also already have Guillermo Diaz, who is tearing up the Euro league, and Baby Shaq who was the talk of last summer's World Championships, already waiting in the wings to come back over and play for the Clippers next season.

Because of all the fading trade rumors having Ron Artest coming to the Clippers for Maggette, sets up a battle royal tonight at Staples between the Clippers and the Sacramento Kings. Especially if Dumleavy starts Corey opposite Ron. That will be fun to watch. All of the trade rumors started when the Kings called the Clippers last Friday to initate a trade scenario. The rumors were leaked from the Clippers side which shows that they were interested. Reportedly, the Kings never came back with a firm offer. I think it is because the Clippers signaled a willingness to trade straight accross, and the Kings wanted more than one asset. The Kings might have just gotten cold feet because of Corey injury history or maybe they want to see what else is out there. If nothing better comes up they might be back to the bargaining table. If they wait to long, Corey might be gone as the Clippers seem to continue to dangle Corey out there on the trade market.

Tonight will be one of the more interesting games, so don't miss it. SoCal fans can view the game at 7:30PM on the Fox Sports Network. Tickets are also available through vaious outlets for those who can get to the game. Try Stubhub to get a last minute deal on tickets that haven't sold.

JamFan

"We got a major break when Yao went down," said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy. "We moved the ball better, we had open gaps and we were able to make our shots."

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Meanwhile, the Clippers continued to pursue a trade for an impact player, discussing a potential deal for Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings, a high-ranking Clippers source said after the game.

Apparently, Artest, whom the Clippers tried to acquire last season from the Indiana Pacers, is eager to leave the Kings, and the Clippers want to send Corey Maggette to Sacramento for the versatile player. A Clippers official spoke with the Kings on Friday, and talks are expected to continue today.

Regardless of whether the Clippers get a boost from Artest, they were upbeat for a change Saturday after defeating a quality opponent on the road. McGrady and Yao would have made things more difficult, the Clippers said, but they finally did many things right together.

"We had guys playing together and sharing the ball, cutting and moving, and it was just great to see," said point guard Shaun Livingston, who had 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

"Even when Yao went out, it was like, 'We need this.' Would we rather have T-Mac and Yao in there together, play like we did and win? Yeah.

"But you've got to get it how you can in the NBA. It's cutthroat. If our guys were out, they would try to mop us up, so we did what we had to do." Especially after Friday's 32-point loss against the Dallas Mavericks in which the Clippers trailed by 43 points in the fourth quarter.

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Elton Brand vehemently disagreed, even in the wake of the team’s worse debacle of the season Friday night, a 115-83 massacre by the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

“You know I was here then, and even in the dark days, we were competing,” Brand said. “Against championship teams, the upper-echelon teams, we would find ways to lose in the end, but we weren’t getting blown out. Not like this.”

But there they were, staring at a 43-point deficit in the third quarter, getting three-pointers rained down upon them as if they were trapped in a hailstorm. The Clippers have lost six consecutive games, their longest losing streak this season, surpassing the pair of season-high five-game skids they suffered last season.

It was the most lopsided loss for the Clippers this season and the biggest victory by the Mavericks over the Clippers in the 27-year history of the series.

“We have to have some pride. We have to compete and play our defensive schemes,” Brand said. “We have to guard somebody.”

CASSELL IN PAIN

Clippers guard Sam Cassell played eight minutes, in intense pain because of plantar fasciitis of the left foot. It’s an injury that has hampered him for at least two weeks.

“I’m out there on guts right now,” Cassell said. “My whole game is about angles and creating angles and plays for my teammates, and I can’t do that right now. I may need to sit out awhile now because I have to get healthy for us to be successful.”

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The injury-plagued Clippers have dropped five of their last eight home games after starting out a franchise-best 6-0. They have dropped four straight overall and 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Rockets.

"It's a double disappointment because we're losing games and losing players. But we've just got to keep fighting and plugging away," Brand said. "One of the things that's missing from last year are energy, defensive rotations, and the fire and will to win. We've got to get that back."

"It's a fine line when to double-team Yao and when not to. And they made us pay the price with some of our double teams with their 3-point shooting," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.

Trailing by 12 late in the third, the Clippers cut it to 100-96 as Corey Maggette scored nine of his 19 points in a 3:51 span -- including a 17-footer with 1:19 to play. But Yao responded with an 8-foot turnaround jumper, then blocked Maggette's driving layup out of bounds with 54 seconds to go.

Cuttino Mobley hit an 18-footer and Head made one of two free throws at the other end, before Maggette's layup cut Houston's lead to 103-100 with 19.5 seconds left. But Alston clinched it with four free throws in the final 14.7 seconds.

Tim Thomas started at small forward for the Clippers, but never made it out of the first quarter. He left the floor just 38 seconds after the opening tip because of a bruised left knee and returned with 5:54 left in the quarter. But less than 3 1-2 minutes later, he bruised his left elbow in a collision with Dikembe Mutombo and was knocked on his back by referee Phil Robinson while clutching his painful elbow. X-rays were negative.

Sam Cassell was scratched for the second time in three games because of a sore left heel that limited him to just 12 minutes in the Clippers' loss at Portland on Friday. Another guard, Quinton Ross, left the game with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter because of back spasms.

"It's tough times because of matchups, but I never try to put it on injuries because injuries are an opportunity for other guys to step up and get better," Dunleavy said. "We were hoping that part of our strength was going to be our depth, but that has been pretty well stretched right now."

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He wasn't celebrating afterward.

"We just got beasted in the paint," Dunleavy said. "They're big and strong at every position, and they out-toughed us. That makes them kind of special. They shot the ball from distance and that's an area we struggled in."

Los Angeles played without two of its top three scorers -- Sam Cassell (injured left foot) and Corey Maggette (bruised left knee and left Achilles' tendinitis). The Clippers have lost three of their last four games, with the losses coming by a combined 70 points.

"It's frustrating to face the top team in the league without all your firepower, but if we gave the kind of effort they did, it wouldn't have mattered," Brand said. "They outhustled us to loose balls, to rebounds, got easy putbacks and easy points."

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The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that the team and Head Coach Mike Dunleavy have reached agreement on a multi-year deal, to begin with the 2007-08 season. Per team policy, no contract terms were announced. Dunleavy is in the midst of his fourth season coaching the Clippers, and last season led the team to its best record since moving to California and on a franchise-best playoff run that saw them come within one game of making the Western Conference Semifinals.

“Mike Dunleavy has proven that he is an outstanding basketball coach,” Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor said. “Mike has already experienced a lot of success with the Clippers, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person to continue to lead this team in the future.”

One of the most accomplished coaches in the NBA, Dunleavy ranks second on the Clippers all-time list for coaching victories and entered the season in ninth place amongst all active NBA coaches. Dunleavy earned his 500th career win on March 13, 2006, as the Clippers have improved their win total in each of his three years leading the club.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Dunleavy has enjoyed success throughout his NBA career, winning NBA Coach of the Year in 1999 while leading the Portland Trailblazers. Dunleavy was with the Trailblazers from 1997-2001, directing them to a 190-106 [.642] record and four straight playoff appearances. Dunleavy started his NBA head coaching career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990-1991, helping the Lakers to a 58-24 record and a trip to the NBA Finals in his first season as head coach. Dunleavy coached the Lakers again in 1991-92 before serving as the head coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1992-1996.

The third all-time leading scorer in University of South Carolina history, Dunleavy was selected in the sixth round of the 1976 NBA Draft by Philadelphia and played 11 seasons in the NBA for the 76ers (1977-78), Houston Rockets (1978-82), San Antonio Spurs (1982-83) and Milwaukee Bucks (1983-85, 1988-1990).

The Clippers initially called the 76ers to gauge their interest in Maggette, whose agent, Rob Pelinka, recently asked the Clippers to trade the seven-year veteran, sources said. The 76ers then steered the conversation toward Iverson.

Maggette has averaged at least 20 points a game in two seasons. He volunteered to come off the bench this season and is averaging 14.1 points, but his minutes have dropped from 29.5 a game last season to 25.6 this season — his fewest in six seasons.

Maggette has not publicly expressed dissatisfaction with his role, but Pelinka apparently believes Maggette could contribute more with another team. The Clippers are trying to accommodate Maggette, sources said, but won't make a move unless it benefits them too.

In the off-season, the Clippers rejected the 76ers' proposal of trading Iverson for Maggette and Livingston, and Clippers officials Tuesday reiterated their unwillingness to send the fourth-year, 6-foot-7 point guard to Philadelphia, even for a four-time league scoring champion. The Clippers plan to offer Livingston a multiyear contract extension in the summer.

For trade talks to intensify with Philadelphia, however, Sterling would have to get onboard about the team's future payroll structure. Iverson has a salary of $17.1 million this season. He's owed $19 million next season and $20.8 million in 2008-09. The 10-year veteran has the right to terminate the final year of his contract and become a free agent.

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Brand said the Spurs are difficult to defend against.

"They move the ball well, they move without the ball well. They have a post threat in Duncan who's a great player, and then they have outside shooters that can knock them down. It's hard," Brand said.

The Spurs dominated inside, with Clippers' center Chris Kaman out with a stomach virus. Los Angeles started 6-foot-9 forward Aaron Williams in his spot, and Parker was able to drive often, and Duncan was able to shoot without much contention.

The Clippers also were without forward Corey Maggette, sidelined by a bruised left knee and tendinitis in his left Achilles.

Williams played just 17 minutes and had two points and three rebounds. Rookie center Paul Davis came on and had 15 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes.

The Clippers' Sam Cassell left in the second quarter with an injury to his left foot and did not return.

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Dunleavy questioned the team's effort in Friday's embarrassing 29-point blowout loss at San Antonio. He challenged the Clippers to respond against the struggling Grizzlies, who are only 3-5 here and have the worst record in the NBA at 5-15.

Memphis missed 13 free throws while shooting only 61.8% from the line compared with 82.1% for the Clippers, who made 23 of 28. It still wasn't easy for the Clippers, but they had to start somewhere.

"It feels good to get that monkey off of our backs, especially after such a tough loss," said Elton Brand, who led all scorers with 26 points.

"It has been building up, and we felt this was a team that we should beat. We were just about .500 on the road last season, so we have a long way to go to try to reach that mark again. But you have to get that first one."

"When we execute like we did tonight, when we move the ball around and take good shots, it just makes the team better," Corey Maggette said. "It's about us moving the ball, hitting the shots when we're open and playing defense. We did those things and good things happened."

"Obviously, everybody knows he's a clutch performer, he's just a real fourth-quarter guy," Livingston said of his mentor. "It's important for me to start the game off and help get the guys into rhythm, which makes it easier for him to come in and just go do his thing because guys are already in rhythm."

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