Clippers share the hurt and beat Nuggets

Cuttino Mobley and Quinton Ross gamely gathered themselves.

Al Thornton gritted and gutted through his first career start.

The Clippers collectively were battered and bruised but ultimately not beaten.

They shrugged off their recent rash of injuries, picking themselves up for a 101-90 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, the first of a grueling five-game stretch to close the first month of the season.

“We had so many guys do a good job defensively and sharing the ball and Chris [Kaman] had another huge game for us,� Coach Mike Dunleavy said.

The Clippers won their first game of the season against a top-notch opponent and simultaneously ended a stretch where they lost four of five games and the Nuggets’ six-game winning streak.

They did so without leading scorer Corey Maggette, expected to miss the next few games while recovering from a strained right hamstring, and mostly without veteran guard Sam Cassell, who felt under the weather and missed the morning shoot-around.

Also, they were partly without reserve point guard Brevin Knight, who sustained a strained right groin in the third quarter and did not return.

Kaman continued his early-season tear, clogging the middle while picking up 17 points and 21 rebounds.

Ross scored 17 points and Mobley had 14. Tim Thomas chipped in with three three-point baskets in the fourth quarter and Thornton ended with 12 points and nine rebounds on four-for-14 shooting.

“We are already short-handed,� Dunleavy said, when asked whether he wanted his players to try and play through the injuries. “There is no sense in taking a chance of getting guys more injured.

But he added: “Nobody in the NBA fully heals. When you have an injury, you play to the point where you hope you won’t re-injure it.�

Before the game, Mobley (strained right groin), Ross (sore right knee) and Thornton (sprained right ankle) were questionable to play.

Mobley entered the locker room, sullenly declaring he was “as good as it’s going to get,� but shortly before game time, he shrewdly asked Dunleavy: “So am I starting?�

Allen Iverson scored 29 points and Carmelo Anthony had 24 for the Nuggets, who shot 39% on the night.

It was Mobley and Ross that spearheaded a 53-46 halftime edge.

They combined for 21 points on seven-for-10 shooting and Kaman quickly cobbled together his nightly double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the first half.

On one inspired possession, Kaman blocked Kenyon Martin’s shot attempt and then raced down the court to hit a turn-around layup. Ross followed it with a three-point basket to put the Clippers ahead, 40-35.

The Clippers end November with games against the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets before playing Denver again.

“The NBA doesn’t have any sympathy that you have injuries,� Knight said. You still have to play. So we are going to go out and battle with the bodies that we have and execute our game plan. We always want to give ourselves a chance and we’ll go from there.�

Maggette said he liked what he saw and would try to play sooner than the two- to three-week prognosis.

“They played hard and they played together,� he said. “Nobody gave us a shot tonight due to the injuries. These guys are hurt and they came out and played.�

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