Aguirre Has the Last Laugh After Helping Clippers Cool the Heat

Clipper forward Mark Aguirre has been a target of abusive fans since he picked up a basketball.

Aguirre, who looks as if he has a basketball hidden under his jersey, is an easy target and the hecklers behind the Clipper bench at the Miami Arena suggested that the 6-foot-6, 232-pound Aguirre should have made a New Years’ resolution to lose weight.

“Hey, Aguirre, aren’t fat guys supposed to get tired?” a fan yelled during Tuesday night’s Clipper-Miami Heat game.

But Aguirre had the last laugh.

He scored 23 points and made six of seven three-point shots as the Clippers overcame a 19-point third-quarter deficit and defeated the Heat, 126-124, before 14,901.

“I’ve heard that all my life,” Aguirre said. “I won two NBA championships being big. I’ve got enough in the record books to let them know that I can do it and I have done it.”

Aguirre made four of five three-point shots in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of the Clippers’ season-high 41 points in the last 12 minutes.

The Clippers outscored the Heat by 15 points in the quarter.

Aguirre scored 10 points, making three three-point shots and a free throw, as the Clippers, who trailed, 110-99, with 6:44 to play, outscored the Heat, 15-3, to take a one-point lead with 3:52 left.

“It was vintage Mark Aguirre,” Clipper guard Mark Jackson said. “He heated up and knocked down shots and that’s what we needed.”

Jackson, who made only 42.6% of his shots in his last seven games, scored a team-high 24 points, making 11 of 19 shots, including two three-pointers. He also had nine assists and two steals.

Jackson, who made three of four shots in the final quarter, including a three-pointer, had seven points, three assists and two steals in the fourth quarter.

“Before the last game, I watched some film and I thought I was playing good, which I was, but I wasn’t attacking offensively,” Jackson said. “I decided I have to be a little more aggressive. Sure, I was getting nine or 10 assists, but I wasn’t getting the (points) we need.”

With the Clippers trailing, 113-111, after Aguirre made his fourth three-pointer of the final quarter, Jackson made a three-point shot to give the Clippers their first lead of the game, 114-113, with 3:52 to play.

Jackson also made a key steal to seal the victory for the Clippers.

With the Clippers (13-22) protecting a 124-123 lead after Ron Harper, who scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, made two free throws, Jackson stole the ball from Miami center Rony Seikaly with 29.9 seconds remaining. Harper then made two free throws to give the Clippers a 126-123 lead with 20.4 seconds to play.

The Heat had a chance to win it, but Brian Shaw missed a desperation shot at the buzzer as Miami (16-18) lost its fifth game in a row.

Harper made seven of eight free throws in the fourth quarter, the Clippers 14 of 16.

Clipper Notes

Clipper forward Danny Manning sat out for the second game in a row because of an ankle injury. An Atlanta newspaper reported that the Hawks are interested in acquiring Manning for Dominique Wilkins, which would reunite Wilkins with Clipper Coach Bob Weiss. Clipper spokesman Joe Safety said club policy forbids discussions of trade rumors or trade discussions. Manning’s agent, Ron Grinker, who attended the game, said that even if Manning is traded, he won’t negotiate with his new team until after the season. Grinker had dinner with Heat co-owner Billy Cunningham Monday night, but said it wasn’t to discuss a deal with the Heat.