"They (the Clippers) were kind of forcing me to pass it because they never really left me open," Parker said. "My teammates kept making shots, so I decided to keep passing the ball."

Parker had been averaging 19 points and just over five assists a game.

"We just happened to have a great night and it was sparked by Tony Parker," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I think he set the table for our team really well. ... He got everybody involved."

As for Ginobili, the usual starter came in off the bench halfway through the first quarter as he continues to get back into playing shape. Ginobili was out for several games with a lower back contusion.

"He's starting to feel more confident with his rhythm and body. I wish he would have played a little longer to get into shape," Popovich said.

Ginobili had been averaging just over 13 points in almost 28 minutes a game this season. And he didn't seem worried about being a reserve.

"I don't know when it's going to change, but we're doing great," he said.

"They're just a better team than us right now and it showed tonight," Livingston said. "I think right now we're still finding ourselves."

The Spurs went 10-of-24 on 3-pointers. The Clippers took only four shots from behind the arc, making two.

"We got outworked," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Defensively, we gave up too many high-percentage shots to them."

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It was his second fine performance in a row, and the second consecutive win for the Clippers after they lost six of seven.

"It's my time," said Brand, who hadn't been playing as significant an offensive role as in past seasons. "We're at kind of a crossroads. We needed to win. Being at .500 is OK for some teams, but we have some lofty goals."

After making the second round of the playoffs last season, the Clippers are off to a 9-8 start, including 0-6 on the road.

"What we were doing wasn't working," Brand said. "I needed some touches. I don't mind taking two shots a game if we win, but we needed to mix it up."

"It was one of those nights when Elton Brand was incredible," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "He was just so efficient as a player. He just did us in."

The double-double was the ninth of the season for Brand, who went 13-of-18 from the floor after going 12-of-14 from the field and scoring 31 in the Clippers' 116-91 win over Orlando two nights earlier.

"When I'm hot like that, I don't feel like I'm going to miss," said Brand, who made a variety of put-backs, layps and jumpers.

"It's always difficult to control Elton Brand," said Wade, who scored 33 points. "It seems like Elton has a good game every time he plays against us.

"He's one of the toughest covers in the league. He's very poised, he knows how to get to the bucket and he knocks down shots. He's one of the best players in the NBA and he showed it tonight."

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Brand shot 12-for-14 from the field in a 116-91 Clippers' victory that snapped the Magic's seven-game winning streak.

"We had to reclaim the home court," Brand said. "Especially against the number one team in the East, who had won some games on the road already. They were very hot."

Tim Thomas added 20 points, shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range for the Clippers.

It was the biggest victory margin of the season for the Clippers (8-8), and the Magic's worst losing margin.

"I feel like for 48 minutes we played a really good game, maybe our best game of the year," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said

"Something had to give, something had to change, so I had to be aggressive," Brand said. "This is the first step in getting back our winning ways."

Dunleavy said that the Brand he saw Sunday night reminded him of the player that led his team to its best-ever season in Los Angeles last year.

"He's got a lot of bounce back in his step and he looked confident in his shot," Dunleavy said. "That's what we got used to seeing last year."

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Awful 3 point shooting also hurt the Clippers tonight. Notably Tim Thomas was 0-4 and Cassell was 0-3. If they had just made 2 more 3's it may have been a completely different story. It's been a persistent problem so far in the season for the Clippers. Mobley has been solid from beyond the arc, but Cassell has dropped off big time from last season. Tim Thomas has been very disappointing overall from deep, while Maggette has been horrible at 7%.

The Clippers now don't have much time to sulk about another disappointing performance- they have to play the tough Orlando Magic tomorrow night. Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, & Jameer Nelson and co. are playing great- let's see how the Clippers respond.

One night after shooting an NBA season-worst 30.6 percent from the field and missing 17 of their final 18 shots in a 93-80 loss at Sacramento that dropped their road record to 0-6, the Clippers were back in their comfort zone before a receptive Staples Center crowd of 15,829 and improved to 7-1 on their home court.

"We're 7-1 at home, and we still feel we gave one away against Seattle here. So we feel like we should be undefeated at home," Brand said.

"We were just moving the ball well and making our shots," Corey Maggette said. "The past couple of games we weren't. But tonight, we were doing a lot of good things that put us in a great position. When we're playing good hard D and making your shots, we're a tough team to beat."

"Last night I wasn't as aggressive in the fourth quarter as I should have been and I missed three layups," Mobley added. "So I said to myself, `Just come out tonight and shoot the ball. Just go out and do what you've been doing since you came into the league.' And it went well for me."

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Despite playing much improved team basketball tonight, the Clippers simply could not shoot worth a darn. Q Ross- 1 for 7 (the 1 was a layup) including 2 ugly airballs, Elton Brand 4-15, Corey Maggette 0-9, James Singleton 0-5, Tim Thomas 4-18??! Are you kidding me? It wasn't like the Kings played great defense- a lot of the shots were uncontested outside jumpers. Shaun Livingston was probably the most consistent shooter tonight going 10-16, and Cat Mobley hit 5 or 6 straight at one point, but even those two guys missed all their shots down the stretch. Combined the Clippers shot 30% for the game. Other than that they played great in other areas, but 30% shooting was too much to overcome.

There were quite a few bright spots in the game. The Clippers did a great job shutting down Bibby (5 for 16) and Martin (1 for 8)- you can't ask for better than that. Also it was great to see Livingston shoot with some confidence, though there were a couple of plays in the 4th when he was feeding Brand in the post and never even looked at the basket. That allowed his man to hunker down on EB and resulted in turnovers/tough shots. That's where you really miss Sam Cassell- Sam didn't play because of his ankle sprain and wow did the Clippers ever missed (no pun intended) his veteran leadership and shooting. Also I thought Paul Davis was terrific in the 14 minutes he played- 7 points, 5 boards, and a block. Rookie's got a nice outside shot that he puts up with confidence, plus he had some nice forays to the basket. Maybe he should've been put back in the game there in the 4th with Brand and Thomas shooting so poorly.

Overall it was a much better team effort- guys were cutting on offense, making the extra pass, and everyone crashed the boards big time. The shots simply didn't fall- what can you do, especially when you're shorthanded with Cassell and Kaman not playing. Without those two guys and you have Brand, Maggette, and Thomas struggle with their shooting like that- well- we all saw the result.

"The way we play is to control tempo, control boards and control paint," Dunleavy said, "and he's a big part of that, with his rebounding, shot blocking and low-post scoring. But this means that there's an opportunity for someone else."

Kaman said it is unlikely that he will miss two weeks.

"We have great trainers, but they don't know how fast I heal," he said. "It's going to be sore, I know. But I want to play sooner than later."

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Dunleavy said second-year forward James Singleton earned another chance to be in the playing rotation after his inspired play against Denver. Singleton made an immediate impact when he was inserted into the game to start the second quarter and he subsequently played a season-high 32 minutes. Singleton had appeared in just three of the first 11 games. "I figured sooner or later an opportunity would come and I'd get a chance," he said. "I always stay ready." ...

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Dunleavy said Monday it is possible that second-year forward Yaroslav Korolev, 19, will be sent to the Clippers' NBDL affiliate, the Anaheim Arsenal. NBA teams can send two players at a time to the developmental league (rookies and second-year players) to gain experience and playing time. Korolev, who appeared in 24 games last season and has not played in any of the first 12 games this season, fits those criteria. "It is a possibility," Dunleavy said. "The positive is that he'll receive playing time. I don't see any negatives, other than he'll miss practicing with our guys."

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Rewarding the coach who led them to their best season, the Clippers have reached agreement with Mike Dunleavy on a four-year contract extension for more than $21 million, The Times has learned.

Andy Roeser, Clippers executive vice president, and Dunleavy's agent, Warren LeGarie, late last week finalized the framework of a package that will pay Dunleavy more than $5.3 million a season, multiple team sources said Monday. The Clippers have not announced the agreement because Roeser and LeGarie were still negotiating bonuses for Dunleavy tied to the team's future playoff performances.

Dunleavy was in Sacramento with the Clippers on Monday preparing for the final game of a road trip Tuesday against the Kings. Asked about his new contract, Dunleavy said he had hoped "something could be worked out because this is where I want to be, which is what I've said all along."

With a current salary of $2.5 million in a contract that expires after this season, Dunleavy has a below-market package for someone with his experience. And Dunleavy — the 1999 NBA coach of the year — has significant input in the Clippers player-personnel decisions, the primary reason Sterling was willing to increase his salary by about $4 million a season in the new contract.

Among other things, Dunleavy played a key role in persuading center Chris Kaman to sign a five-year, $52.5-million contract extension in October.

There had been speculation within the organization that Dunleavy might receive an additional title in a new contract, but sources said Dunleavy is fine with the Clippers' current management structure and enjoys working with General Manager Elgin Baylor — the 2005-06 NBA executive of the year.

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Los Angeles cleaned it up briefly midway through the second, using a 13-2 run to get within four, but that was it.

Already playing without center Chris Kaman, who sprained his ankle against the Timberwolves, Los Angeles lost point guard Sam Cassell for most of the second half with a sprained left ankle.

Cassell, the catalyst for the Clippers' win over the Nuggets in the first round of last year's playoffs, was 1-of-4 in just seven first-half minutes and lasted two minutes in the third quarter before coming out.

That left the Clippers with two big holes instead of one and Denver took advantage, opening the second half with a 13-4 run that led to an 87-70 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Corey Maggette had 22 points to lead Los Angeles, which shot 36 percent to lose its fourth straight.

"This isn't the way we play," Cassell said. "We aren't in a rhythm. We can't get a rhythm. You can get it back or it can get worse."

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Foye had scored just 14 points in his previous five games, but was by far the best player on the court when it counted on Saturday night.

"I've been kind of waiting for this," Foye said. "I just wanted the chance to do what I did in college, have the ball in my hands and make plays."

Cassell scored 28 points in the first 36 minutes, but Ricky Davis shut him down in the final period, holding him to three points on 1-of-5 shooting.

Foye opened the fourth with a 3-pointer and a pretty, swooping layup in traffic, then added another 3 with 4:49 to play to cut the Clippers' lead to 94-88.

The jaw-dropping performance stole the show from Cassell, who was dominant for the first three periods.

Cassell jumped on Minnesota right out of the gates on Saturday night, scoring 12 points in the first quarter, including six straight during an 8-0 run that helped the Clippers take a nine-point lead after one.

But while he has earned a reputation as one of the better clutch players in the league over his career, Cassell didn't have anything left in the tank when Foye and the Wolves made their run.

After going 13-for-19 in the first three quarters, Cassell was just 1-for-5 over the final 12 minutes.

His last basket came on a 3-pointer with just over 5 minutes to go that made the score 94-85, but the Wolves closed the game with an astounding 19-2 run to win their third game in a row.

"I want to win everywhere. I try to play my heart out everywhere," Cassell said. "It's a loss. We're 6-5 now. We haven't yet won on the road, so we've got to try to put together some road wins, but we're all right."

"We're a confident team," Cassell said. "We understand we let this one slip through our hands, but we've got to find a way to win this kind of game."

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Kaman's injury occurred on the eve of the Clippers' first extended trip, a three-game slate that continues Sunday in Denver and then concludes with a game Tuesday in Sacramento. According to Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, Kaman rolled his ankle when he stepped on a teammate's foot in a full-court scrimmage.

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One nagging problem for the Clippers is slow starts. The Clippers have been behind in the first quarter in all but one game. "I don't know the answer to that, other than we haven't shot the ball well," Dunleavy said. Players are passing up open, mid-range jump shots. The often-negative results have been 24-second shot- clock violations, three-second violations and over passing, leading to turnovers.

Dunleavy's answer?

"You have to be able to step up and shoot with confidence," he said.

"We know we haven't been playing our best basketball, and then we've run into some teams that have been trying to pick themselves up," Thomas said, alluding to losses to Utah, the Lakers and Seattle. "It's a little difficult for us right now, but we just need to stick together and we'll be all right."

Thomas said the players have discussed the offensive stagnation, and part of the problem lies with lack of ball movement.

"A lot of situations we've been caught holding the ball, with the shot clock almost gone," Thomas said. "It comes down to matter of trust, in most cases. Trust that if you pass the ball, and make your cut, that you'll get the ball back."

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Rashard Lewis had 35 points and 13 rebounds and Ray Allen scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Sonics, who never led by more than 12 points and never trailed in a 95-85 victory on Wednesday night.

"Rashard Lewis had a great game and Ray Allen followed it up," Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley said. "But we're giving other teams confidence. We didn't have that many turnovers, yet we didn't have that many rebounds. They outrebounded us, and we're the bigger team."

Reserve forward Tim Thomas scored 15 points for the Clippers, who won their first six games at Staples Center to set a franchise record for the fastest start at home. They were the road team in Tuesday's 105-101 loss to the Lakers.

"We caught them on the back end of a back-to-back, so we had to take advantage of them early," Allen said. "Even though they're at home, we knew they played last night and we didn't, so we had fresher legs."

"We weren't putting them in situations where they had to make plays under duress," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We were getting outworked, and it was disappointing to see. Big shots by Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis kept us at bay."

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Individually Brand was terrific with 20 and 15, and Cassell was solid with 18. Maggette did very well, though he (and EB) missed way too many free throws early. Mobley kind of dissappeared tonight- Cat had only 4 point. Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston played much better than they have lately. Kaman played like he did late last season, though he still commited way too many turnovers (5). Livingston really sparked the Clipper comeback in the 4th. He blocked a shot, got a steal, made some layups, and hit a huge 3 to tie the game at 83. He shot that because the clock was running down, but you kind of knew it was going in because he didn't have to think much about it- all those reps from practice over the summer just took over. In the future Shaun really needs to just shoot that if he's open- no hesitation, no thinking. He did miss a running bank shot that would've given the Clippers a 3 point lead later in the game. Shaun should pratice that shot more- he's going to have tons of opportunities for that banker during the season. Q got some tough touch fouls early and really couldn't do much to stop Kobe. Interestingly with the Clippers down by 7 with a minute and a half to go the Clippers came out of a timeout and specifically drew up a play for Q to shoot the 3- and he drained it like it was a layup. That would be something if he starts to hit 3's on a consistent basis- that will really help stretch the court on offensive.

"They are a great basketball team," Iverson said. "They have what you need to win in this league. They have a grown man playing power forward (Brand). They have young talent, leadership in Sam Cassell, a great pickup in Tim Thomas, players who know their role, and an effective center."

The Clippers have won their first six home games for the first time in the franchise's 37-year history -- including six seasons in San Diego and eight as the Buffalo Braves. The team started a season 5-0 at home only three other times -- last season, 1983-84 in San Diego, and 1988-89 at the L.A. Sports Arena.

"I'm part of a lot of Clipper history now, so I enjoy it. Just keep stacking 'em up," Brand said. "It's special -- and disappointing at the same time, because we should never have had to be in a position to have to claw and fight back."

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