LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Elton Brand collected 23 points and 17 rebounds and Lamar Odom had three big baskets down the stretch as the Los Angeles Clippers dealt the Miami Heat their 12th straight loss, 87-83, Tuesday night.
Brand battled foul trouble as he began a fourth-quarter rally that saw Los Angeles erase a six-point deficit. Odom pulled the Clippers even, then put them ahead for good. After the Heat opened their largest lead at 73-67 with 10:22 to play, Brand scored three baskets over the next five minutes, with the last one making it 78-76 with 5:39 remaining.
Odom took over from there. His banker just over a minute later tied the game and, after Brian Grant made a jumper to give the Heat an 80-78 lead, Odom had a thunderous follow dunk on a fast break that tied it, 80-80, with 2:42 left. On the next possession, Odom drove hard to the basket, drew a foul from LaPhonso Ellis and flipped in a layup. The three-point play gave the Clippers the lead for good with 2:07 to go.
Miami's Rod Strickland made two free throws, but Odom shoveled a pass to a cutting Quentin Richardson for a dunk and an 85-82 lead with 52 seconds to play.
Alonzo Mourning made 1-of-2 from the line and Miami had a chance to tie on its next possession. But recent signee Jimmy Jackson missed a runner in the lane and Brand snared the rebound. His two free throws with five seconds left sealed it.
