DALLAS -- For six years, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand were a dynamic duo for the Los Angeles Clippers. They even led the Clips to the second round of the playoffs in 2006.
Not long after that, Kaman and Brand went their separate ways.
Brand ended up playing the last four years for the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kaman wound up playing last season with the New Orleans Hornets.
Now, Brand and Kaman are back together again -- with the Dallas Mavericks. And back in the starting lineup, too.
In their first extensive duty playing together since arriving with the Mavs over the summer, Kaman had 23 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes Wednesday, and Brand added 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes as the Mavs held on for a 107-101 victory over the Washington Wizards. The win snapped the Mavs' three-game losing streak and showed just how resourceful they can be when utilizing both Brand and Kaman together.
Brand believes the union with him and Kaman would have happened sooner if Kaman hadn't sprained his lower back on the first day of training camp.
"Him getting hurt with his back and stuff, it kind of set us back,'' Brand said. "That's what it looked like on paper.
"We can play together well.''
Both Brand and Kaman had been waiting for the moment when they could show folks they can do for the Mavs what they did for the Clippers, who enjoyed some of their most glorious seasons when these two veterans were part of their organization.
"We're both a little bit older and do a little bit more things different than we used to,'' Kaman said. "But we got it done.''
-- Dwain Price
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