Clippers best team in LA

http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=5AE608F1-27B1-4B2A-A09B-EFB7
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Clippers long have been the NBA's doormat. Now they
might be the best team in a town that has come to expect championships from
the Lakers.

Heading into this weekend they had a better record than the storied Lakers,
the team with which they share an arena.

"I have always looked at their team as being young and explosive," Cleveland
coach Paul Silas said after the Clippers beat the Cavaliers 94-82 earlier
this week.

Cleveland star LeBron James, who was held to two points in the fourth
quarter and 22 overall, said the Clippers -- like his Cavs -- no longer are
an easy opponent.

"They've started to turn it around in the Western Conference," James said.
"So we're two common teams."

"We're getting really good defensive play out of our guys, and we're getting
really good ball movement," Dunleavy said. "Those two things are helping us
win games."

"I'm enjoying this, regardless of our record," Dunleavy said. "This process
is a building process. You plug the pieces in and things can happen. It
starts at the defensive end of the floor."

Dunleavy said he expected the current success, "but I didn't know we'd do it
with the injuries we've had."

"It feels great being 9-6," Brand said after scoring 30 points against
Cleveland. "The team is buying into it -- just buying into team, offensively
and defensively."