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LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Jeff McInnis scored 23 points to lead seven players in double figures as the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-97 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, who have dropped a season-high five in a row. McInnis made 10-of-15 shots and had nine assists for the Clippers, who shot 58 percent (44-of-76) despite playing without forward Lamar Odom (sprained right wrist) and center Michael Olowokandi (food poisoning). "I felt real good today and the shots were going for me," McInnis said. "I just started getting back to taking good shots when I'm open." Elton Brand had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Clippers, who took the lead for good at 17-14 on McInnis' three-point play with 5:09 left in the first quarter. Quentin Richardson, who entered the game leading the NBA in points off the bench with 14 per contest, pumped in 19 and fellow reserve Darius Miles added 17 on 8-of-11 shooting. The Clippers' bench players outscored the Blazers' backups, 48-27. "They can't double-team and key on me when Darius is hitting his jumper," Brand said. "He has put a lot of work on his jumper in practice every day." Los Angeles led by as many as 18 points in the second half and Portland never got closer than 88-81 after Ruben Patterson scored on a layup to begin the fourth quarter. "I thought the guys who needed to step up, stepped up," Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. "It was a good all-around team win." "They have a lot of young guys, and they have a lot of tough guys," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Offense was not the essence of the game, defense was." Portland was paced by Damon Stoudamire's 25 points. Patterson added 18, Rasheed Wallace 17 and Bonzi Wells contributed 12 for the Blazers, who shot 47 percent (41-of-87). After Patterson scored on a dunk with 5:49 left in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 42-40, 5-5 Earl Boykins entered the game, immediately hit a 3-pointer and sparked a 22-10 run that ended the half. Boykins closed the scoring with a jump shot that made it 64-50. "Earl played really good," Gentry said. "He created plays for guys and put pressure on their defense." The Clippers, who snapped a three-game skid against the Blazers, shot 65 percent (24-of-37) en route to their highest-scoring first half of the season. McInnis and Brand had 13 points apiece at the break and Richardson added 11. "It is the same old story," Cheeks said. "The first half (our defense) was horrendous, and in the second half it got better. But it is pretty much the same old story." "(We) were making stupid mistakes throughout the game that later on came back to hurt us," said Scottie Pippen, who scored nine points and had nine assists after missing the last 10 games with a bruised right knee. Los Angeles (16-14), which is just 1-7 away from home, plays 21 of its next 29 games on the road. "That was a must-win tonight," Brand said. "We lost two at home and it's great momentum for us going into this road trip." Portland, which had not lost five games in a row since last March 6-14, fell to 4-11 on the road. "We need a win real bad," Pippen said. "We've been bleeding for a while, and we need to stop the bleeding." |
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