NBA Game Summary - Minnesota at LA Clippers

Los Angeles, CA (Basketball News) - Elton Brand led the way with 24 points, as the Los Angeles Clippers halted a pair of losing streaks with a 92-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center.

Corey Maggette scored 23 points for the Clippers, who put the brakes on an eight-game slide and halted their nine-game skid versus Minnesota. Bobby Simmons netted 15 points while Chris Kaman chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.

"We’re not giving up," said Brand. "We’ll be ready to try to string games together and keep it moving."

Latrell Sprewell posted 17 points for the Timberwolves, who returned from the All-Star break and opened a three-game road swing but did not find much success in southern California. Wally Szczerbiak added 15 points in the losing effort and Kevin Garnett finished with 14 points and eight boards.

Minnesota, which many projected as a contender for the Western Conference crown, was quiet throughout Thursday’s trade deadline and currently sits in ninth place overall in the West at 27-28.

The Timberwolves also suffered a pair of injuries in the contest. Forward Eddie Griffin left with a fractured index finger and center Michael Olowokandi suffered a hyperextended right knee.

The Clippers controlled the action from the start, jumping out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter that they never relinquished.

After Sprewell’s layup near the nine-minute mark, the Clippers went on a 16-2 run for a 24-8 lead with 2:30 to go in the opening stanza. Brand was dominant and contributed eight points during the surge before Simmons capped it with a jumper.

In the second period, the Timberwolves settled down and managed to outscore the hosts but still trailed at the break, 45-36.

Minnesota crawled back into the game in the first six minutes of the second half and actually got within two when a Sprewell dunk made it 49-47. However, a brief 8-2 run by the Clippers pushed their lead back up to 57-49.

Simmons started things off with a layup, Kaman and Maggette both netted a pair from the stripe and Brand threw down a thunderous dunk that gave LA a 57-49 advantage with under four minutes to play in the third.

The Clippers maintained their lead and eventually took a 64-58 edge into the final stanza. On several occasions, Minnesota threatened and made it close, but could never get over the hump.

"It was good for our team to go out and get a win," said Maggette after the long losing streak. "We played the right way and got stuff done."

With just over four minutes to go, Troy Hudson’s jumper brought the T-Wolves within three, 74-71, but LA responded with a 11-5 run that essentially put the game away.