<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Elton Brand is back, just in time to potentially make life tough for some Western Conference teams fighting for playoff position. The Clippers forward made his season debut Wednesday night against the lowly Seattle SuperSonics. Brand had missed the entire season while recovering from a surgically repaired left Achilles' tendon. Brand was injured during an off-season workout on Aug. 3 and the Clippers have been a non-factor this season. He checked in with 6:02 left in the first quarter to applause from injured teammates Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas sitting at the end of the bench. He missed his first shot 34 seconds later. His first basket came with 3:08 left in first quarter, a right-hand shot from the low block. He immediately yelled "and one" wanting a foul on the play but didn't get the call. Brand finished with 19 points and played almost 26 minutes. The Clippers beat the SuperSonics, 102-84. "It felt great just competing," Brand said. Said Coach Mike Dunleavy: "I really hadn't planned on much, playing him in the 16-minute area. Then in that first half he got competitive and said, 'I want to play some more.' " Brand's return could help alter the wild Western Conference playoff race.</div> Los Angeles Times
