Clippers Lose More Ground : Pro basketball: They fall to Nets, 109-98, and hold playoff spot by only 3 1/2 games over Nuggets.

The Clippers--who sometimes look very good and sometimes look very bad--must now look over their shoulders.

Those footsteps they hear are not from Larry Brown stomping on the sidelines, but the Denver Nuggets, only 3 1/2 games behind the Clippers for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot after New Jersey’s 109-98 victory Wednesday night before 11,528 at the Sports Arena. Meanwhile, Denver defeated Washington, 126-112.

Yes, the Clippers are closer to the Lakers--three games back--for the seventh spot. But, after losing for the sixth time in seven games and falling to 29-31, they just don’t feel like it.

“I don’t think we have any control over other people,” Brown said. “I don’t even know if I have control over our own people.

“We’re not a playoff team. If we went into the playoffs now, it would end quickly. We’ve got 22 games now and we have got to learn to play and play well.”

Ahead is a stretch they must take advantage of: Minnesota twice in a row, Miami, Sacramento and Milwaukee in a seven-game span. The Kings and Timberwolves are two of the three worst teams in the Western Conference and the Bucks are in last place in the Central Division.

“I wouldn’t say they’re must-win,” Clipper Mark Jackson said. “Every game is must-win. But we have to get back to playing good basketball. That’s the key right now.”

The Clippers stayed close enough in the fourth quarter to make it interesting, getting within 99-93 with 1:54 left. But the Nets, winning for the fourth time in five games, thwarted the rally when Drazen Petrovic sank a jumper from the left side with three seconds remaining on the shot clock and Maurice Cheeks connected on the next possession with the 24-second clock down to one. That made it 103-93 with 1:03 to go.

The Nets, opening a four-game Pacific Division trip, had a 56-48 halftime lead. It could have been worse for the Clippers, who trailed by 12 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

New Jersey threatened to turn the game into a blowout in the third quarter, building a cushion at 85-69 with 39 seconds left. The Clippers cut into that slightly by scoring the last two baskets of the quarter, making for an 85-73 game heading into the fourth.

The Clippers played without Stanley Roberts, who missed his second consecutive game because of a strained lower back. That moved Loy Vaught into the starting lineup at center, and he responded with a game-high 23 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Gary Grant returned after sitting out the previous four games because of a sprained ankle. So did Kiki Vandeweghe, out the last six games because of a strained Achilles’ tendon, though he did not play.

Clipper Notes

In what may be the strongest testimony yet to the improved play of Gary Grant, the Clippers and the fifth-year guard have opened contract talks. At the start of the season, the Clippers probably would have let Grant become a restricted free agent and then waited to see if he got an offer sheet. Now, Grant, who had some support in the organization even as he struggled through inconsistent years, might have solidified his future with his encouraging 1992-93 play. The issue might still not be resolved until the off-season, especially since the Clippers have more pressing contract matters and Grant, represented by former Laker and Clipper guard Norm Nixon, wants a four- or five-year deal. That may be steep for the Clippers.

Kiki Vandeweghe, relegated to the bench almost full-time, is considering retiring at the end of this, his 13th season. That is not a bold proclamation since he had the same thoughts the last two years while with the New York Knicks. “When the season is over, I’ll get some perspective on it,” Vandeweghe said. . . . If all goes well, Jaren Jackson will make the most significant step of his comeback from a broken ankle today when he takes part in a full practice for the first time since the Jan. 12 injury. . . . Stanley Roberts, who had X-rays to confirm his back injury is only a strain, remains day-to-day.