<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MOSCOW, Russia, Oct. 1, 2006 -- Forget about the jet lag. Forget about the Red Square. Forget about Moscow. It?s October 1, and no matter where you are, it?s time to go to work for NBA players. Some 12 hours after the Clippers landed on Russian soil, coach Mike Dunleavy staged the first practice session in CSKA?s Universal Sports Hall. Running, conditioning and a lot of scrimmages - the surprise outfit from last season is back in action. And they are more ambitious than ever. "Anything less than Second Round, Game 7 will be a disappointment," Elton Brand vowed. "Last year was the break-through so hopefully we can contain the success." The Clippers clinched their first Playoff series in ages before ultimately falling to Phoenix in seven tough games. But coming of their winningest season since their move to Los Angeles (47-35), the Clippers are oozing with confidence. "We have high expectations of our team," added coach Mike Dunleavy. "We felt we had a very good season last year. We don?t feel it was a fluke because the way we won was with defense. ?We were one of the top defensives teams in the NBA last year - the number one in the league in shot blocking and number one in defensive rebounds and number one or two in overall rebounding." The Clippers have four days before they see the first competitive action of the season. As part of NBA Europe Live, they clash with CSKA Moscow and city rivals BC Khimki next week. Dunleavy has warned everyone not to focus on the Moscow sightseeing activities. "From my standpoint, we are here working," he said. "This is work for us. It is not a show. We are trying to get ourselves in condition and ready to play in the NBA. That is important for us. ?We?re looking to win but we?re also looking for the two teams to challenge us. They have been together for a month already. This will probably be a good challenge for us." </div> Source
