CLIPPERS PASS ANOTHER TEST BY BEATING SUNS BRAND, MOBLEY AND CASSELL HAVE BIG GAMES CLIPPERS 101, PHOENIX 91.

Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer

The Clippers have faced a handful of early tests to see if they're ``for real'' this season. They passed yet another one Saturday night.

Staying atop the Pacific Division standings and snapping Phoenix's nine-game winning streak, the Clippers did not play victim to the Suns' fast-paced style and won a fourth consecutive game with a 101-91 victory in front of 17,033 at Staples Center.

``It helps our confidence a lot,'' Clippers forward Elton Brand said. ``But we want to worry about our team and what we need to work on. We knew they had a long winning streak coming in. They had been beating some good ball clubs and pretty handily.''

Phoenix leads the NBA in scoring, and in the beginning, the Clippers fell into the trap of playing the Suns' speedy style. The Suns went up 57-53 at halftime.

But in the second half, the Clippers slowed the tempo, focused on getting the ball inside and were not baited into taking quick shots.

``Phoenix likes to play small ball because they don't have a post game,'' Clippers point guard Sam Cassell said. ``That's them, and they do it well. They run off of every possession, and that's what makes them so good.

``One time, they had four guards on the court. That's like, `Wow.' That's something you don't see in everyday basketball. But we made the adjustments. We rebounded the ball and pounded it inside.''

In order to quell the Suns' running game, the Clippers had to not fall into the trap of fast-breaking too much and taking low-percentage shots. In the first quarter, they certainly fell into that trap, but led 37-34 at the end of the quarter.

Cuttino Mobley scored 14 in the first quarter, and with the Clippers leading, the tempo didn't appear to be a problem - until they started to take worse shots in the second quarter.

``You don't really notice until you start missing,'' Mobley said of the Clippers' questionable shot selection in the first half.

In the second half, the Clippers slowly pulled away. They went up 93-88 with 3:56 left, but Phoenix stayed around, pulling as close as five points in the final minute.

Brand had 27 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Mobley had 25 points, and Cassell added 24 points.

Though the Clippers improved to 9-1 at home and warded off Phoenix, which went 4-0 against Los Angeles last season, coach Mike Dunleavy shied away from making a bold statement about the significance of the victory.

``They're certainly a talented team over there,'' Dunleavy said. ``There's no way either one of us can say, `Yeah, yeah, we're supposed to win.'

With Amare Stoudemire expected to be sidelined until February because of left knee surgery, the Suns still came into Staples Center with an NBA best nine-game winning streak. Does their start without their key big man show how excellent the league's reigning MVP, Steve Nash, who had 16 points and 11 assists Saturday, is playing?

``Absolutely,'' Dunleavy said. ``He's still creating so much for them, everything. He's 'Brainiac' on the court. He reads everything and understands everything so well.''

Joe Stevens, [phone]

joe.stevens(at)presstelegram.com

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Photo:

The Clippers' Elton Brand drives to the basket against Phoenix's Kurt Thomas during the first half on Saturday. Brand had 27 points.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News

Box:

CLIPPERS vs. DETROIT

- Joe Stevens