Brand Gets the Worst of Breakaway-Dunk Attempt

Elton Brand bruised his right heel and strained his right shoulder on one play during the Clippers’ victory Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That will teach him to try to dunk on Kevin Garnett.

Brand fell awkwardly to the court after Garnett was whistled for a foul midway through the third quarter, denying Brand a thunderous breakaway dunk, but giving him free throws.

Later, during a friendly postgame dinner, they discussed the play. According to Brand, it went like this:

Garnett: “That was no foul. You pulled me down.”

Brand: “You’re lucky I didn’t dunk it on your head.”

Brand made two free throws, part of a 12-2 run that enabled the Clippers to break away from the Timberwolves en route to a 94-75 victory.

Of his injuries, Brand said Thursday, “I’m just banged up. It’s OK. I’ve played through worse. I’m going to play [tonight] against Denver. I’ll do anything to get us back to .500.”

The Clippers (7-8) have been to the .500 mark twice this season--at 4-4 and 5-5--the first time the franchise has been at the break-even point since early in the 1996-97 season. But they haven’t topped .500 yet in 2001-02.

“I don’t worry about him,” Coach Alvin Gentry said of Brand, who leads the team with averages of 21.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. “If he can walk, he can play. He wanted to practice, but I wouldn’t let him.... He’s been just great for us.”

*

A day after the fact, Gentry said he believed Wednesday’s victory over Minnesota was the Clippers’ best game of the season. Some of it had to do with the play of small forward Lamar Odom, who had six points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

“He creates plays for the other guys,” Gentry said. “He’s one of the few guys in the league who can dominate a game, but only score four points. He did a great job guarding Kevin Garnett.”

Garnett missed 11 of 18 shots and scored 14 points. He also took 15 rebounds.

TONIGHT

at Denver, 6 PST

Site--Pepsi Center.

Radio--KXTA (1150).

Records--Clippers 7-8, Nuggets 6-9.

Record vs. Nuggets--(2000-01) 2-2.

Update--The Clippers were one of four teams without a road victory going into Thursday’s games. They try for their first victory in five games away from Staples Center against a team that has a four-game losing streak. The Clippers have lost six in a row at Denver. Their last victory there was March 8, 1998.