[Orlando Sentinel] Steve Francis battles with his Clippers friend, Cuttino Mobley

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Friendly guards hug, then tangle

Orlando's Steve Francis battles with his Clippers friend, Cuttino Mobley.

Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 2, 2006

Even as good friends, they are rivals, too.

Cuttino Mobley got the victory he wanted Wednesday night, but he got a fat upper lip -- compliments of Steve Francis in the final minute -- as a reminder that friendship can be a funny thing when frustration hits in the heat of an NBA game.

"I guess I won't be doing any photo shoots for a while,'' Mobley said, touching the sore and cut lip after the game. "There's a lot of love between us, but sometimes funny things happen in a battle.''

The Los Angeles Clippers throttled the Orlando Magic 106-94, but before it was finished, Mobley and Francis were jostling for position and exchanging shoves in the final minute. That's when Francis popped him

"I don't know. I guess I could have hit him,'' Francis said. "But it's about bragging rights. And right now, he has the rights I wanted.''

Francis and Mobley spent five years together in Houston, then came to Orlando together in a trade before last season. During those years, they built a tight bond but an unspoken rivalry that simmered under the surface of their friendship.

For years, Francis overshadowed Mobley. He always was paid more, and he almost always scored more. Francis was the No. 2 pick in the 1999 draft who became a three-time all-star. Mobley was a second-round pick in 1998, and he always played in the shadow of Francis.

The pecking order was clear in Houston, and it didn't change when they came to Orlando in the trade of Tracy McGrady. Only after Mobley was traded to Sacramento last season, then signed as a free agent with the Clippers this summer, have the roles changed.

Mobley is basking in the rise of the Clippers, fitting nicely into an all-around role with a team growing in stature and heading to the playoffs.

Francis is struggling to find his new niche with a changing team that is spinning its wheels.

"I feel for him. I wish I could help him, but he'll be all right,'' Mobley said. "It's just hard to play against him because we both know everything about the other's game.''

After spending 51/2 seasons together, they played against each other for just the fourth time Wednesday night. Francis has outscored Mobley three of the four times -- 21-16 Wednesday night -- but Mobley has won three of the four games. In Sacramento last season, he split two games with the Magic.

This season, the Clippers have thumped the Magic easily both times. In the earlier meeting, Mobley had 18 points while Francis had just 10, making only three of his 16 shots.

"He's having a good season, doing a lot for that team,'' Francis said. "He helps make them go.''

They had dinner together Tuesday night in Orlando. They hugged warmly before the game Wednesday. They even exchanged some playful shoves early, but it was clear that both wanted the win, and only Mobley was going to get it.

Mobley is having one of his most productive seasons, even if he isn't scoring like he once did. He is among the league leaders in minutes played (40 per game) and free-throw percentage (.833). He had 28 points and a career-high 11 assists Monday night in Miami. A week before, he had a career-high 13 rebounds in a victory against New Jersey.

"We get caught up playing around and beating each other up,'' Mobley said. "But it's all good. I just try and do what I do. This is a good team I'm on now.''

Tim Povtak can be reached at tpovtak@orlandosentinel.com.