Here’s a Rare Headline: Clippers Win : Pro basketball: Vaught’s jumper with less than nine seconds left beats 76ers, 95-93, and gives Fitch his 850th NBA victory.

Forward Loy Vaught didn’t have to take many last-second shots during his first four seasons in the NBA because the Clippers had proven scorers such as Danny Manning and Ron Harper.

But Vaught has become the Clippers’ go-to guy now that Manning and Harper are gone.

Vaught made an 18-foot jumper over 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley with 8.6 seconds left as the Clippers beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-93, and ended a two-game losing streak Thursday night before an announced crowd of 6,239 at the Sports Arena.

“I’ve been put in a position where I have the opportunity to take those big shots like that, and it feels great to come through for the team and the coach,” said Vaught, who had a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds. “Now I find myself in situations where they look to me to make big plays.”

The 76ers had a chance to tie it after Vaught’s shot, but Clipper guard Gary Grant, making his season debut after missing the first 29 games because of a knee injury, stole a Dana Barros pass intended for Clarence Weatherspoon and made two free throws with 1.4 seconds left as the Clippers handed the 76ers their fourth loss in a row.

Sharone Wright made a dunk with 0.4 seconds left for the final margin.

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch reached a milestone by becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win 850 games, joining Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, Jack Ramsay and Dick Motta.

Weatherspoon, who scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, made a jumper with 1:55 left to tie the score, 89-89, but Clipper forward Tony Massenburg, who had a career-high 18 points in 33 minutes as a reserve, made a three-foot runner with 1:33 left to make it 91-89.

However Barros, who had a game-high 26 points, made a lay-in with 1:12 left to tie it at 91-91.

Vaught, who had 21 points and eight rebounds in the first three quarters, made a 14-foot baseline jumper with 19.5 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 68-67 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Bradley, who had career highs of 28 points and 22 rebounds in the 76ers’ 97-83 victory over the Clippers on Nov. 18 at Philadelphia, sat out the third quarter after drawing four fouls in the first quarter. Bradley played only two minutes in the second quarter.

“I don’t know what to tell you (about fouling),” Bradley said. “I’m out there trying to play good defense and be aggressive, but I pick up fouls. . . . I need to stop fouling.”

The 76ers struggled without Bradley, shooting only 25% (six for 24) in the third quarter as they were outscored, 22-17.

Bradley, who had averaged only seven points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 38% in his last three games, had only four points, six rebounds and five blocks in 13 minutes.

The Clippers activated Grant, who had been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in September.

“I’m about 90% right now,” Grant said. “I’ve been out three months now and it’s time to start playing and getting back in the flow.”

Although he appeared to favor his left leg when running, Grant didn’t look rusty, setting up Massenburg for a layup the first time he touched the ball and throwing a crisp pass to set up Eric Piatkowski for a layup.

Fitch displayed a lot of confidence in Grant, inserting him into the game with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter in place of guard Terry Dehere. Grant finished with seven points and six assists in 16 minutes.

“I played him too long the first half,” Fitch said. “He gave away a lead out of fatigue late in the second quarter. Up until then, when I should have taken him out, I thought he played well.

“The second half he was out there about the right kind of minutes (seven) and I thought he played well. He helped us a lot. It helps to have a veteran out there. He gave us some defense the second half.”

Dehere continued to struggle, making only four of 10 shots and scoring 12 points in 32 minutes.

Clipper Notes

Rookie center Matt Fish, who had averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 27 games, was waived to make room for guard Gary Grant, who averaged 7.5 points and 3.7 assists in 78 games last season. Fish, who started eight games for the Clippers, was cut five days before all NBA contracts are automatically guaranteed.