Mike Dunleavy doesn't coach because of a back injury. Chris Kaman scores 26 points.
Seventeen-plus months can be an awfully long time to hold back emotion, keeping in those boos buried deep inside.
Clippers fans, at long last, finally had their moments of release, a chance to let Elton Brand really know how they felt about his mysterious departure from Los Angeles in the summer of 2008.
And so they booed the 76ers' forward and former Clippers standout when he entered the game with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter Thursday. (So much for the diversionary tactic of having Jrue Holiday go in at the same time).
The jeering of Brand continued right on through what turned out to an emphatic 104-88 victory by the Clippers against Philadelphia at Staples Center. Clippers assistant coach Tony Brown was in charge because Mike Dunleavy aggravated a herniated disk in his lower back, brought on by what Brown called a "hard sneeze."
Chris Kaman led the Clippers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Baron Davis added 20 points and the game turned when the Clippers held the 76ers to 14 points in the third quarter. Rasual Butler made four three-pointers, all in the second half and three in the third quarter.
"It was real strange," Brand said. "It was definitely strange. It was kind of surreal. A few plays, we'd do something good and I wanted to give Kaman a high-five. It was kind of weird."
He fully anticipated the full-on treatment. This was his first game back here since leaving, and he had played the Clippers twice in Philadelphia since opting out.
"A lot of jeers, a few cheers too," Brand said. "I've seen games where guys went to teams and every time they touched the ball . . . so I expected that.
"It's just different. It's kind of a strange breakup, that's what it was."
Then again, by Philadelphia standards, the reaction qualified more like a sturdy hello.
Kidding aside, Brand wasn't much of a factor in the second half. He finished with 17 points overall, only two in the fourth quarter with the outcome long decided.
Said Kaman: "He made his decision based on what was best for him and his family. I can't be mad at him for that. Obviously it would be nice to play on the same team with him.
"He's going to hear it from the fans every time he plays here because I don't think they're too happy with what went on."
Brand joked about his interaction with Kaman during the game, saying: "He didn't stop talking. He's always talking. He's talking about his family. I'm, like, 'Listen, I'm focused on the game.' "
This may have lacked the drama of the Clippers' overtime win against the 76ers about two weeks ago, but who wants intrigue when a team is in desperate need of a win? This was only the second victory in six games for the Clippers (14-18) since they beat Philadelphia on Dec. 19.
Still, Brand's return wasn't the only compelling subplot at Staples Center. Dunleavy, who has long been suffering from a cold, was getting ready for the game in the afternoon when he hurt his back.
"From what I understand a hard sneeze really escalated the back issue," Brown said. "I feel sorry for him. The last thing you want to do is have a cold and have a bad injury like that."
Brown also filled in as head coach on an emergency basis once in Boston when Doc Rivers had to leave because of a death in the family and another time in Milwaukee. The Clippers don't have an official lead assistant, but this happened to be Brown's game.
By the way, he is 3-0.
Like this head coaching gig?
"I could get used to it if we get the results like this," Brown said, smiling.
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