This was what Brand, tongue tucked firmly in his cheek, remembered: "The play developed exactly how they drew it up . . . Andre Miller scrambling, got it to [Andre] Iguodala . . . he lost it . . . I was wide open on the baseline."

Why not? This was a night that was heralded as being all about Brand, in his first game against the team that employed him the previous seven seasons. This was the team that he left as an unrestricted free agent after offering specific signals that he fully intended to stay.

But whatever the controversy, whatever the behind-the-scenes reasons, whatever the influence of agent David Falk, Brand has made it perfectly clear that he had no issues with his former teammates or Mike Dunleavy, his former coach. Many of the Clippers players came to Brand during warmups, and Brand went to the Clippers' bench before the opening tipoff to shake hands with Dunleavy. Whatever Brand said, he decided to keep between him and Dunleavy.

"I'd be more than happy to talk to Elton Brand, any day, any time," Dunleavy said before the game. "That's never been an issue."

The larger issue for the Sixers and Brand was the way the team has been playing. They're back to .500 at 6-6 and know they should be better. They're supposed to be improved from last season, a running bunch with a post presence and a better bench. They've shown glimpses, but have rarely sustained it.

Even last night, they were down 83-75 with 6:31 remaining and 86-80 with 2:30 left. And then, just like that, perhaps out of desperation or a sudden sense of urgency, they found what they were searching for. Iguodala completed a three-point play. Samuel Dalembert stole the ball from Clippers center Chris Kaman. Andre Miller hit a free throw. After a 15-foot fallaway one-hander by Baron Davis, Miller drained a three-pointer. Davis tried another fallaway and missed. Thaddeus Young rebounded, and that set the stage for Brand's game-winner.

It wasn't a pretty victory, but it counts just as much as any other.

"That was a tough game, but we hung in there toward the end," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We had some stops toward the end that helped us out. As the game was going, we weren't getting any stops."

That the Sixers were able to come back and win was also something of a surprise, because they seemed to lack fire for much of the game.

"C'mon, you can get deflated if you're out playing defense, playing defense and [some opponent] gets an offensive rebound and they get a score, or you go on a fastbreak and they get a steal," Cheeks said. "It can deflate you a little bit. But I thought our guys hung in there."

Brand had tried to downplay his first game against the Clippers, and had that reasonably under control. But there was also an unanticipated emotional factor when - earlier in the day - the Clippers traded Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas to the New York Knicks for Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins.

"A lot of times [when there's a trade] and you have less guys, the next guy stepping out on the court is going to try and be a little bit better, to prove he should have been playing all along," Cheeks said. "You can't guard against it. It's just things that happen."

For much of the night, the Clippers were the ones making things happen. Second-year forward Al Thornton played the full 48 minutes, generating 22 points and nine rebounds. Davis had 18 points and six assists, but also contributed seven of his team's 25 turnovers.

Brand described the situation as "surreal, really weird."

"I know those guys. I love those guys," he said after putting together 17 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. "Playing against them in the first half was kind of strange, but we were losing, so 'Enough of that friendship stuff, let's get a victory.' We've got bragging rights so far."

Thaddeus Young also came up with 17 points, although his last basket came with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. Iguodala had 14 points, 12 assists and four steals, Miller had 13 points, seven assists and three steals and a more energized Samuel Dalembert had 11 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

Brand had also drawn motivation from the memory of Wednesday night's loss in Minnesota.

"We lost to a team that had been 1-8 with a lot of talent," he said. "This team was 2-9 and even more talented. It's one of those nights you're glad is over. It was a big deal, with a lot of anticipation. We got the victory. Let's move on." *