CLIPS SPREAD THE WEALTH IN WIN CLIPPERS 114, PHOENIX 108.

Byline: JOE STEVENS Staff Writer

One thing the Clippers hope about the roster they have assembled is that their offense can come from various sources.

That diversity played out as they hoped Saturday night, as Corey Maggette and Sam Cassell each scored 23 points to lead six Clippers in double figures in a 114-108 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center.

``It's easy when you're already a good player and you're with other good players that you know how to play with,'' Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley said. ``So moving that ball around, with everyone getting eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 touches, who are you going to stop?''

Phoenix couldn't stop the Clippers, but the Suns put a brief scare into them when they recovered from a 15-point third-quarter deficit to go up 82-80 heading into the fourth quarter. But the Clippers were far from a collapse.

The Clippers went up by 10with 3:19 left, and Phoenix never had a possession to tie it after that.

``We can't be the Phoenix Suns,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. ``We have to be who we are. We showed good patience at the offense end of the ball, controlling the tempo. I thought this was a really good character win for us.''

Before the game, Dunleavy expressed concern about the team's first two games and said, ``There's been a lot of lapses. We're not sharp right now.''

Afterward, he didn't point to lapses and simply gave credit to the Suns for their run to cut the Clippers' 15-point lead. But there still will a few areas of concern, shooting-wise. The Clippers shot just 68.9 percent (31 of 45) from the free-throw line and were 8.3 percent (1 of 12) from 3-point range.

A troubling early trend is that Elton Brand's numbers have been down. He still had 15points and 10 rebounds Saturday, but it appears that the Clippers won't need consistent 20-plus point performances from him to win.

``Our big players, Chris Kaman and myself, are very unselfish,'' Brand said. ``We don't care. If the double team comes, we embrace it because we know we got shooters out there.''

Maggette, who has been relegated to a reserve role, responded by scoring 16 of his 23 points in the second quarter to help the Clippers to their best quarter of the season. They outscored the Suns 36-17 in the quarter.

As usual, two-time reigning MVP Steve Nash gave the Clippers fits. He finished with 28 points and 13 assists, but the Suns had poor shooting stretches and shot 44 percent for the game to the Clippers' 47.1 percent.

The Suns still are finding their way, especially with Amare Stoudemire trying to adjust to playing injury-free. Stoudemire played 10 minutes in the first half and was practically nonexistent with two points, two turnovers and only one rebound. He was benched the entire second half.

The Clippers won't see the Suns again until February, and although the Clippers had reasons for optimism, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni jokingly put the young season in perspective.

``We are 1-3; mathematically, we still have a chance, and as long as we have a chance mathematically, we'll be all right,'' he said. ``We have our problems. Sure, there are concerns. I don't sleep at night, and nobody else does.''

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Photo:/ Phoenix's Shawn Marion, right, shoots over the Clippers' Elton Brand. Brand finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jae C. Hong/Associated Press