Clippers Still Can’t Beat the Heat at Home : Pro basketball: Miami rallies from 21 down in the first half to defeat L.A. for the fifth time in six tries, 113-108 in overtime.

Beware the Ides of March.

A year ago today, Miami won at the Sports Arena. Wednesday night, the home team was jumped again by the second-year team from Florida.

Et tu, Heat?

Again failing to take advantage of a team with an inferior record, the Clippers found a way to make it seem even worse. They blew a 21-point lead and lost to Miami, 113-108, in overtime before 9,388.

The Clippers, outscored 13-8 in overtime, fell to 25-38 overall. Miami, the last-place team in the Atlantic Division, broke a nine-game road losing streak and improved to 15-49 as Sherman Douglas scored nine of his game-high 33 points in overtime.

“I think you could say we outworked them in the second half,” said Miami rookie Glen Rice, who added 24 points.

And overtime?

“And overtime,” he agreed.

The Clippers, who have lost all three games against the Heat at the Sports Arena, trailed 109-108 and took a timeout with 26.4 seconds left. They ran the clock down to about 15, when Tom Garrick sliced down the middle of the lane. Kevin Edwards and Terry Davis converged for the block, and Douglas converted that into a breakaway layup for a 111-108 advantage.

The Clippers got another timeout and another chance with 9.9 seconds remaining. This time, Garrick’s entry pass from halfcourt was intercepted by Douglas, who was fouled and made both free throws for the final margin.

Danny Manning started for the first time in four games, opening in place of Charles Smith, the Clippers’ leading scorer who did not dress because of a hyper-extended left knee.

The injury is not regarded as serious. The immediate problem was not losing to Miami for a fourth consecutive time and falling to 1-5 lifetime against the Heat.

The Clippers are one of only three teams with a losing record against Miami, expansion Orlando and second-year Charlotte being the others. That Coach Don Casey was forced to use his 16th different starting lineup--this time Winston Garland, Garrick, Benoit Benjamin, Ken Norman and Manning-- couldn’t have helped.

For a while, it looked as though Smith picked a good night to rest the knee that bothered him since the Feb. 25 game against San Antonio. Ironically, that was the last time the Clippers scored 60 points or more in a first half.

Until Wednesday. Continuing to heap trouble on a Miami team that was blitzed the night before, 121-87, by the Kings, the second-most decisive win since that franchise moved to Sacramento five seasons ago, the Clippers were up at intermission, 60-44.

The only Heat lead of the first half was at 2-0. From there, the Clippers, looking smooth offensively, went ahead, 12-3 and 22-11. The cushion reached 40-25 on Manning’s layup with 8:07 to play in the second quarter and 52-31 when Norman took a David Rivers pass and streaked down the middle for another layin with 5:07 remaining before halftime.

The Clipper lead held at double digits until Terry Davis scored inside with 1:50 to play in the third quarter, bringing Miami within 77-68. Then it really fell apart.

With 14 seconds left in the quarter, Joe Wolf, obviously misreading the clock, fired up a half-court shot that missed wildly. Instead of working for the last shot, the Clippers were left to sprint back on defense.

With 1.6 seconds left, Davis missed a free throw. He missed the second, but Douglas, the Heat’s six-foot guard, came in the right side and tipped it in. Miami trailed, 79-76, heading into the fourth.

It took the Heat all of 1:45 to grab the lead. Rice pulled them within one with his short jumper in the lane, then put Miami on top with a baseline jumper.

A 35-point loss by the Clippers in the last meeting 1 1/2 months ago at Miami, and now this.

“Every time you lose is tough,” said Manning, who had 28 points to lead the Clippers. “But you shouldn’t give up a big lead like that.”