Clippers Have Means but Not End

MIAMI —  A good start to the longest trip of the season would have pleased the Clippers, who almost got what they wanted.

They overcame an early deficit and, for the most part, continued their recent strong play, except for squandering opportunities down the stretch Monday night in the Miami Heat’s 118-114 victory at American Airlines Arena.

The Clippers didn’t deliver in the game’s final two minutes after taking their last lead, 109-108, on point guard Sam Cassell’s three-pointer with 2:30 to play. The Heat wouldn’t trail again, scoring seven unanswered points to secure its third consecutive victory and end the Clippers’ winning streak at a season-high five games.

Miami held on late after defeating the Rockets in Houston on Sunday, and the Clippers dropped the first of six games on their 11-day Eastern trip.

It was an entertaining opener, though not as much fun as it could have been for the Clippers.

“We’re not trying to take any moral victories right now,” said power forward Elton Brand, who led the Clippers with 31 points.

“They’re a good basketball team, definitely, but to play so hard and to play them so close ... of course, we wanted to win. We feel we’re also a good basketball team.”

The Clippers didn’t look very good early in Monday’s game.

They trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter as Miami had an impressive start behind guard Dwyane Wade and center Shaquille O’Neal, who sat out the Clippers’ 99-89 victory Dec. 5 at Staples Center because of an injury.

Miami scored a season-high 42 points in the first quarter as Wade, who finished with 28 points and 11 assists, scored 11 and O’Neal had nine of his 25. The Heat shot 77.3% from the field in the first 12 minutes and led, 42-33.

The Clippers, who trail the Phoenix Suns by two games in the Pacific Division, shot 54.2% for the game and Miami finished at 54.8%.

The Heat, however, also connected on 11 of 20 (55%) three-point attempts.

“They came out and jumped on us early, and then our guys did a nice job of settling in and doing a better job executing,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “They had some three-pointers tonight that were mistakes in our coverage, where we came off guys we weren’t supposed to come off, and that hurt us.

“Coming down the stretch, it came down to finishing some plays, which they were able to do and we weren’t. They made some big shots.”

O’Neal made two free throws to start the fourth-quarter spurt that helped the Heat pull away.

The Southeast Division leaders, who had six players in double figures, including their starters, got a three-pointer from forward James Posey to go ahead, 113-109, and Udonis Haslem’s two free throws stretched the lead to 115-109 with 1:18 to play.

Meanwhile, the Clippers went cold.

Brand and swingman Cuttino Mobley, who had 28 points and a team-high 11 assists, had been hot but missed shots during the Heat’s quick burst that could have enabled the Clippers to keep pace.

Rookie forward James Singleton, who contributed 14 points off the bench, cut the lead to 115-114 with his second three-pointer of the game and season with 8.9 seconds left, but the Heat made its free throws.

“That was a tough one,” said Cassell, who had 18 points and seven assists. “The effort was there, everything was there, it was right there for the taking, but you’ve got to give the Heat some credit.

“They made big shots and ... Shaq, man, he’s just amazing. He impacts the game so much with his size and strength. You always have to pay attention to him, and he made two big free throws down the stretch.”