Mobley, Clippers rout Trail Blazers

Elton Brand scored 20 points, and Corey Maggette and Chris Kaman scored 17 points each for the Clippers, who have won two straight after dropping three in a row, and kept pace with the Golden State Warriors, who topped the Kings Friday, for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both teams moved to within a half game of the Lakers, who sit in the seventh seed.

Brandon Roy scored 18 points for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped four straight. Travis Outlaw had 14 points for Portland.

The LA lead topped out at 27 points down the stretch as the Clippers cruised to victory.

The Clippers closed the third quarter with a 12-4 run that put the game out of reach. Mobley threw down a dunk in the final seconds to give LA an 80-58 lead entering the final 12 minutes.

Brand heated up early, scoring 10 in the first quarter as the Clips took a 26-19 lead into the second quarter.

The Clips opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run to open up a 13-point lead. A Kaman hook closed the stretch, putting LA up 34-21 with 8:35 left.

The Clippers led 50-37 at the break.

Game Notes

LA’s Sam Cassell was ejected late in the fourth quarter for arguing a foul call...The Clippers won the season series, 3-1, with the Blazers, for just the third time in 37 years...The Blazers actually made one more field goal than the Clippers, 35-34, but LA sank 35-of-40 free throw attempts, while Portland went 16-of-23.