Cassell, Thomas lift Clippers
By Joe Stevens Staff Writer
Inside SOCAL

LOS ANGELES - So this is why the Clippers signed Tim Thomas.

In a home opener of high drama, Thomas and Sam Cassell's clutch shooting bailed the Clippers out of an otherwise shaky game in a 96-95 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Staples Center.

Denver star Carmelo Anthony again got frustrated against the Clippers and was ejected in the third quarter, but his departure seemed to energize the Nuggets.

Thomas made three huge 3-point shots in the final 2:54 to help the Clippers come back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit. His biggest one put them ahead 94-93 with 36.9 seconds left.

But moments later, Sam Cassell had an ugly turnover in which he stumbled and gave the ball directly to J.R. Smith, who had an uncontested dunk. He argued for a foul call and, in the NBA's odd system of poetic justice, received one on the next possession. He made two free throws to put the Clippers in the lead, 96-95, with 12.0 seconds left.

Former Clipper Earl Boykins threw up an air ball with 0.9 seconds left for Denver.

Sam Cassell finished with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists. Elton Brand had an off-night in which he had a hard time getting shots. He finished with eight points and six rebounds.

Denver had its biggest lead, 80-70, with 7:35 left when Marcus Camby made a jump shot.

The Clippers clawed back, though, and reclaimed the lead with 1:07 left when Quinton Ross made a jumper to put the Clippers ahead 91-90.

In its season opener, Denver wasn't helped by Anthony's ejection with 8:22 left in the third quarter. Anthony had just picked up a fourth personal foul and, as he walked to the bench, took off his head band and threw it to the sideline. Apparently, in the NBA's crackdown on on-court misbehavior, that display warranted his second technical of the night and an automatic ejection.

The Clippers and Ross' defense appear to frustrate Anthony, who also was ejected in a regular-season game against the Clippers last April 4, when he directed a ball more than 20 rows into the crowd.

Brand had just four shots and four points in the first half, but Sam Cassell scored 17 first-half points to help give the Clippers to a 49-48 halftime lead. Thomas also helped make up for Brand's low production with 10 points in the half as did Corey Maggette, who had 10 points on just two field goals and six free throws.

Where Shaun Livingston will be 80 games from now is something else the Clippers would like to know. He had four turnovers in the first quarter and didn't score in only 15 minutes of playing time.

Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy considers this season a "work in progress," in which his team needs to return to being the defending menace it was last season. That work-of-progress theory was apparent as soon as the first quarter, when the Clippers used 11 of their 12 available players.

Foul trouble to Sam Cassell and Livingston contributed to that unusual substitution pattern, but it also showed that a lot of the Clippers' individuals are playing inconsistently.

"We're not where we need to be," Dunleavy said. "We're behind, based on some of our guys who had injuries in training camp. Lots of teams go through it. It happens at different times throughout the season. We're trying to have our guys get their legs back and play through it."

 

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