Clippers get tough but lose

It would have been the Clippers’ finest hour at a point when things are going poorly for them and time is running out.

So that’s what the Clippers focused on, finding encouragement in rallying from a 17-point deficit Wednesday night and leading late in the fourth quarter before losing, 109-105, to the Houston Rockets in front of a sellout crowd of 18,082 at the Toyota Center.

They took pride in their strong performance after struggling to start the game, capitalizing on Elton Brand’s season-high 37-point outing in a stirring comeback against one of the Western Conference’s top teams.

In the end, however, the Clippers lost their fifth in a row, are 0-2 on a supposed make-or-break six-game trip and dropped out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

With 12.2 seconds remaining, Tracy McGrady, who led the Rockets with 21 points, drew the defense to him and found Luther Head open in the left corner (in front of the Clippers’ bench) for a three-point shot that gave Houston a 107-105 lead.

After a timeout, Corey Maggette cut to the basket and Brand tried to get him the ball, but Houston center Yao Ming knocked it away.

Rockets point guard Rafer Alston grabbed the ball, was fouled with 5.9 seconds to go and made two free throws to cap the scoring. McGrady stole the ball on Tim Thomas’ desperation pass and dribbled as time expired.

“We had opportunities, we just couldn’t finish,” Brand said. “We had turnovers late, which really hurt us, and they hit some big shots. Luther Head’s three ... just a difficult loss.”

The Clippers (29-35) trail the Golden State Warriors (30-36) in the race for a playoff berth by two percentage points.

With 18 games remaining in the regular season, including four on the trip, the Clippers hope Wednesday’s emotional loss provides the springboard to better days.

“That’s the first thing I talked to our guys about,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “I said, ‘Look, you can’t waste these kinds of efforts.’ We’ve got to duplicate this effort the rest of this trip, and if we do, good things are going to happen for us.”

The Clippers were pleased with how they played in stretches in Tuesday’s 93-84 loss to San Antonio, so they expected to compete well against Houston (40-25).

But the Rockets took a 12-0 lead and the Clippers had to adjust.

They eventually did behind Brand, who scored 23 points after halftime.

Houston led by 17 in the second quarter, 15 in the third and 10 with 9:28 left in the fourth. Then Brand went to work.

Brand, who also led the Clippers with 10 rebounds, scored 11 points in the fourth to spark the Clippers’ big push. He made mid-range jumpers while Houston forward Chuck Hayes fouled out trying to guard him and forward Juwan Howard picked up his fifth foul.

The Rockets even tried 7-foot-6, 310-pound Yao on Brand, which didn’t work well for them.

Brand made key jumpers over Yao late in the quarter. After Alston stole the ball from Daniel Ewing and scored on layup to put Houston ahead, 104-103, with 1:12 left, Brand drove past Yao and made a highlight-tape dunk that gave the Clippers their final lead, 105-104, with 1:01 to play.

“In the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, he was unstoppable,” Yao said of Brand. “I was just trying to use my size to try to stop him, and I was trying to block his shots, but he was shooting over me. He had a great game.”

jason.reid@latimes.com

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KEYS TO THE GAME

* It’s tough to overcome this. The Clippers trailed, 12-0, to start the game and had to climb uphill most of the night.

* Late turnovers. The Clippers failed to execute well down the stretch and the Rockets capitalized.

* Houston made clutch shots. When the Rockets needed to score, Tracy McGrady made things happen.

-- JASON REID