Clippers continue road trip in New Jersey

The Clippers picked up their first win of the trip in the trek’s third game on Friday, a 102-93 victory over Charlotte. Tim Thomas came off the bench to score 24 points in the win.

Elton Brand added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who snapped a five-game overall losing streak. Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley had 14 points each for LA.

Los Angeles, though, has now dropped out of the playoff picture and is ninth overall in the West, one-half game behind Golden State. The win did improve the Clippers to 9-23 on the road this season and the club still has visits to Chicago and Milwaukee left on the swing.

New Jersey is also battling for playoff positioning. The second-place Nets trail the Raptors by six games for the lead in the Atlantic Division and hold just a one-half game advantage over New York and Orlando for the eighth spot in the Eastern standings.

The main reason for the slim advantage is simple. The Nets have lost six of their last eight games and most recently were defeated by Miami, 93-86, on Thursday.

Richard Jefferson scored 20 points against the Heat for the Nets, Vince Carter netted 12 points, and Jason Kidd finished with 14 assists, 10 boards, and nine points.

This evening’s game is the second of a three-game homestand that concludes on Tuesday when Denver comes to town. New Jersey is 17-16 as the host this season.

This is the second and final meeting between the Clippers and Nets this season. LA escaped with a 102-101 home win over New Jersey on January 25 after Mobley nailed a three-pointer with just .6 seconds left to play.

New Jersey, though, has won seven straight over the Clippers at home. That isn’t good news for Los Angeles, which has dropped six of its last seven road games overall.