Los Angeles

- Quentin Richardson continues to build his young reputation as the best sixth man in the NBA, and the Cavaliers were on the end of his wrath last night at the Staples Center.

Richardson came off the bench with 22 points and helped break open a tight game in the fourth quarter to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 109-103 victory over the slumping Cavaliers.

The Cavs (13-27) lost their ninth straight and 12th out of their last 14, finishing the six-game West Coast trip without a victory. More woes were added when Lamond Murray went down with a possible broken nose late in the game.

Murray and Andre Miller led the Cavs with 24 points. Miller also added 10 assists. Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with his best game of the road trip with 16 points. Jumaine Jones added 14. Elton Brand led the Clippers (20-20) with 24 points.

Richardson, in only his second year in the league, sparked the Clippers with his explosive play and outside shooting. Richardson averages 12 points and three rebounds per game, but his three-point play followed by his trey gave the Clippers a 79-70 lead.

The Cavs cut the deficit to six, but Richardson scored inside. Darius Miles followed with a slam and Richardson scored again for 12-point lead.

The Cavs made a run and trailed by eight with three minutes left. The Cavs, however, made this run without Murray, who left the game with five minutes left when he collided with Miles' elbow as Miles drove to the basket.

But the Clippers made their free throws down the stretch and never let the Cavs closer than six points.

The game was close throughout the first half. Wes Person split a pair of free throws for a 14-10 Cavs lead midway through the first quarter. But any hopes for a fast start were frustrated by Michael Olowokandi, who had a field day with 11 points during the period. He scored eight points during the Clippers' 12-6 run for a 22-20 lead.

Ilgauskas scored consecutive baskets inside the paint and Miller followed with a layup to tie the game at 26 before Olowokandi's free throw provided a one-point lead to start the second quarter.

The Cavs were hot during the first quarter. They outshot the Clippers, 52.4 to 50 percent, from the field.

The Cavs' bench provided some energy during the second quarter. Ricky Davis had eight points during the period. A Davis jumper gave the Cavs a 34-33 lead, but Richardson drilled a trey to put the Clippers back in front. Cleveland responded with back-to-back dunks on a 8-2 run for a 40-38 lead.

The lead bounced back and forth the remainder of the period. Murray closed out the half with a putback and the Cavs trailed by one, 47-46.

Olowokandi's 11 points led the Clippers at the half, while Jeff McInnis had 10. Miller scored 11 for the Cavs.

Although the two teams had exchanged the lead 20 times entering the early stages of the second half, the Clippers started to take control as the third quarter developed. Brand, who dominated the period, completed a three-point play for a 65-62 lead with 3:30 left. Richardson's dunk extended the lead to five.

Richardson followed a missed Brand free throw to give the Clippers a six-point lead, but the Cavs jumped back and trailed by two following Jones' trey. McInnis, however, closed out the period with a shot at the buzzer for a 73-69 lead.

The Cavs return home on Monday against the resurgent Miami Heat. The Cavs are 3-0 against the Heat this season.