Coming off of a 28-54 season and having lost guard Quentin Richardson, the Clippers weren't expected to do much of anything this season. Los Angeles isn't a threat to make the NBA Finals just yet, but the Clippers are rivaling their STAPLES-mates, the Lakers, for L.A. superiority and are, at 16-16, in the hunt for their first playoff berth since the 1996-97 season and their first winning record since Larry Brown paced the sidelines at the Sports Arena. The Clippers have done it despite a spate of injuries. Guard Kerry Kittles, acquired to replace Richardson, has seen action in just six games. Center Chris Kaman started the year on the injured list, and point guards Marko Jaric and Shaun Livingston are both out at the moment.

The injuries haven't been all bad for the Clippers. Kittles' injury gave swingman Bobby Simmons a chance to claim a starting job, and he hasn't let go. Starting with 30 points against the Sonics, Simmons has had an outstanding season, averaging 16.0 points per game. L.A. Coach Mike Dunleavy has also gotten surprising contributions from journeymen Rick Brunson, who is starting at the point and has averaged 9.8 points and 7.8 assists as a starter, and center Mikki Moore, shooting 56.3% from the field. Combined with the typically excellent performances of forwards Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, the quality role players have kept the Clippers in the hunt.

As for the Sonics, they quickly proved their season-opening loss a fluke, and it's obvious now what went wrong. The Sonics were without reserve Danny Fortson, one of the key players in their red-hot start, and Nate McMillan was desperately searching for a rotation after many of his top players missed time during the preseason. Robert Swift and Damien Wilkins, now on the injured list, played 23 minutes. Point guards Luke Ridnour and Antonio Daniels, so effective since that game, shot a combined 2-for-20. Now, coming off of a big win over Miami, the Sonics are looking to keep their momentum going at KeyArena.

G U A R D S
	Jaric's injury was a tough blow for the Clippers after how well he had started the season, averaging 11.0 points, 6.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. In Brunson's nine starts, however, the team is 5-4, suggesting he's doing some things well. Always capable of posting good stats in limited minutes, Brunson has shown he can do more in a larger role, handing out 14 assists last week in a win over Portland. Brunson's biggest liability is on defense, where he's not quick enough to keep up with the league's better point guards, something nimble Sonics counterpart Luke Ridnour might be able to exploit. Since the first matchup with the Clippers, Ridnour's confidence has grown exponentially, and he's moved up to seventh in the NBA with 9.9 assists per 48 minutes (Brunson, at 10.2, is fifth).
	As Sonics fans were so often reminded following the season opener, Simmons was drafted by the Sonics in the second round of the 2001 Draft, but his rights were immediately traded to Washington for the rights to Predrag Drobnjak. After playing intermittent minutes with the Wizards, Simmons has developed dramatically in L.A., and he's the Clippers best defensive perimeter player and a quality rebounder to go along with his efficient scoring this season. Still, Simmons will have his hands full with Ray Allen. The Sonics guard dropped 67 points in two games against the Clippers last season and scored 20 in the opener. After two off games, Allen could come out looking to score tonight.
F O R W A R D S
	Maggette too was a Sonics draft pick dealt before he could do anything more than put on a Sonics hat for his photo with David Stern. The Sonics were willing to give up Maggette's rights because they already had Rashard Lewis at small forward, and the two have both developed into some of the league's best at the position. Lewis and Maggette are both averaging 21 points and change per game, but in very different fashions. Maggette is not an outstanding shooter, connecting on 26.0% of his threes this year, but uses his powerful frame to get to the free-throw line an average of 10 times a night. Lewis isn't as frequent a visitor to the foul line, but his outside marksmanship puts him fifth in the NBA in three-pointers (82), just ahead of Allen (81). By comparison, the Clippers as a team have made just 89.
	Because he's played for non-contending teams his entire career and has kept his name from getting in the news for the wrong reasons, Brand is one of the NBA's most underrated players. If his teams haven't been better, it's certainly not because of Brand, who has averaged 19.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during his six-year career. Brand's rebounding has taken a surprising dip this season to 8.8 boards per game, but he remains a consistent double-double threat who can be a force in the post. The Sonics will counter with forward Reggie Evans, expected to return to the lineup after a three-game absence because of Gastroenteritis. Evans' 8.4 rebounds per game are nearly as many as Brand's, but in far fewer minutes. Evans' return should help the Sonics control the glass against the Clippers, an average rebounding team.
C E N T E R
	Kaman, the Clippers lottery pick in 2003 out of Central Michigan, looked like he might have trouble reclaiming his starting spot after Chris Wilcox played very well in a small lineup in Kaman's absence. Wilcox cooled, however, and is now on the injured list himself. Kaman battled turnovers and shot selection as a rookie, but has improved in both areas, shooting 51.9% this season. Even as a starter, however, Kaman has split minutes up front, averaging less than 20 per game. Sonics center Jerome James is happy to be finished with Shaquille O'Neal this season after combining for nine fouls and no points in 17 minutes against the Heat center.
B E N C H
	Because of injuries, the Clippers bench has been in flux this season. Kittles (right) should eventually become the top reserve, but he's yet to find his touch, shooting 35.1%. Rookie Quinton Ross, undrafted out of Missouri two years ago, is a good perimeter defender but has contributed little else. Darrick Martin, a journeyman from UCLA, was signed as a free agent to back up Brunson. Up front, Moore has seen his playing time decrease lately in favor of Zeljko Rebraca, another good scorer for a seven-footer. The Sonics bench was outstanding against Miami and will be looking to duplicate that performance. Vladimir Radmanovic (left) had 27 points, while Danny Fortson had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dwyane Wade defensively and added 15 points and seven assists and Nick Collison had six points and six rebounds.

TEAM LEADERS ALLEN MAGGETTE Allen 23.9 PPG Maggette 21.9 Evans 8.4 RPG Brand 8.8 Ridnour 6.3 APG Jaric 6.4 Lewis 1.4 SPG Jaric 1.9 James 1.2 BPG Brand 2.0 Allen 40.3 MPG Maggette 37.7