LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Coach Mike Dunleavy knows the Los Angeles

Clippers have an outside shot of breaking the franchise record for

victories. He has loftier goals on his agenda, however.

So does Elton Brand, whose 32 points and nine rebounds helped

the Clippers rout Washington 116-101 on Saturday for their 40th

victory of the season. The 1974-75 Buffalo Braves, whose retro

uniforms the Clippers wore against the Wizards, won 49 games. The

Clippers need to go 9-5 the rest of the way to equal that mark.

"You'd love to win 50 games, but we've got to take it to the

first step -- which is getting into the playoffs," said coach Mike

Dunleavy, who reached the 50-win mark once with the Lakers and

twice with Portland.

"I'm really more concerned with just doing whatever we've got

to do to get in. Once we clinch a playoff position, then it's going

to be really more about getting ready for the playoffs and putting

ourselves in a position to play well."

Sam Cassell scored 26 points for the Clippers, who have recorded

40 wins for only the third time in the last 27 seasons and the

first time since 1992-93 under Larry Brown. Chris Kaman added 21

points and 13 rebounds.

Antawn Jamison scored 31 points for the Wizards, who had beaten

the Clippers eight of the previous 10 times they faced each other

in Los Angeles. Gilbert Arenas, who averaged 34 points in the two

games against the Clippers last season, had 17 points after getting

18 against them in a 102-97 loss on Nov. 9 at Washington.

"They did a good job not letting me get free for easy

baskets," Arenas said. "They're more mobile than other teams.

Their 4s and 5s can actually help and get back and recover. With

most teams we're playing, if I do a screen-and-roll with somebody,

that guy is not recovering. But against these guys, basically, it's

not even worth doing screen-and-rolls."

Coming off a 109-97 victory at Utah in which they set a

club-record for 3-point baskets with 16, the Wizards were just

5-for-24 from behind the arc against the Clippers. Arenas was

1-for-7 on 3s, and 5-for-16 overall.

"We had our work cut out for us. But we did a magnificent job

just locating him early and making things tough for him," Cassell

said. "You're not going to stop Gilbert because he's a great

scorer. And with him and Jamison out there making every difficult

shot, it's definitely a tough matchup."

Cuttino Mobley was scratched because of a sprained right ankle,

forcing the Clippers to use their 14th different starting lineup.

Corey Maggette made his first start at small forward since Dec. 5

and scored 19 points in 32 minutes.

Maggette had come off the bench in 11 consecutive games after

being sidelined for the previous 39 because of a separated ligament

in his left foot. He complained to reporters at Friday's practice

about not starting and playing limited minutes behind Quinton Ross.

"I knew it was coming," Dunleavy said. "We've had a little

disagreement, based on readiness. I think a sign that he's ready

would be if he's shooting the ball better from the outside, where

he has his legs. He still attacks the rim and does some good

things, but he's only shooting 25 percent from the 3-point line --

so further out is where he struggles.

"It's my judgment call," Dunleavy added. "It's all about the

team right now, and I'm going to play the guys who I think are

going to help us win the most right now. So the first thing I want

to see from him is a better defensive effort and the ability to

keep people in front of him. He did OK tonight, but a couple of

games on the road trip, I didn't think he did so great."

Jamison made the first basket of the game, and Washington never

led again. Los Angeles built its lead to 76-52 with a 20-5 run

capped by Cassell's 3-pointer with 8½ minutes left in the third

quarter. The Clippers began their game-breaking rally by scoring

the final seven points of the first half, and the Wizards got no

closer than 10 points after Billy Thomas' 3-pointer capped a 17-5

run.Game notes
The Wizards also wore throwback uniforms from the

franchise's era as the Baltimore Bullets. Baltimore was 11-5

against Buffalo, back when current Wizards broadcaster Phil Chenier

played for the Bullets. ... The Wizards are 0-5 in the old colors.

"They look nice, but we don't like playing in them," Arenas said.