Clippers can’t steal this one

Corey Maggette rose above it somewhat, but most of his Clippers teammates were herky-jerky, unbecoming and wayward.

They missed a chance to steal a win, losing, 82-80, to the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on Wednesday in front of 16,494.

The Clippers misfired on 17 straight shots in the first half, then suddenly dusted themselves off to score 16 of the first 19 points in the third quarter.

That kept them in a game they had no business staying in.

The Clippers shot a season-low 31.3%, making only 25 of their 80 shots, a game after their worst loss of the season, to the Boston Celtics.

“We couldn’t throw the ball into the ocean in the first half,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We had shots and we just couldn’t make them.”

They had chances until the end with the Trail Blazers going cold at the free-throw line but couldn’t capitalize, another frustrating evening among many.

Maggette scored 32 points, with 15 of them from the free-throw line. But he shot only eight of 21 from the field, missing the Clippers’ final two shots of the game.

“Corey had a good attempt at it,” Dunleavy said. “He said he got fouled on it. We’ll go back to the tape and see, but obviously the game is over.”

There was no Chris Kaman. Or Sam Cassell. Or, of course, inactive mainstays Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston.

The Clippers (19-36) have lost an NBA-high combined 188 games to player injuries -- a new statistic to a stale tale.

With Kaman out for the interim, Cassell possibly leaving for the full term and Brand and Livingston still rehabilitating from long-term injuries, Maggette was one of their lone remaining options.

After the eye-shielding first half, in which an Al Thornton layup after nearly a full quarter of missed field goals elicited a mock cheer, Maggette scored 15 points in the third quarter.

“It’s a little bit of common sense, where some situations are,” Dunleavy said of his ailing roster competing night after night.

They were not completely healthy themselves, but the young Trail Blazers had enough to squeak by.

They won 13 straight games this season but arrived as winners of only eight of their last 10 and losers of three straight.

“They are a young team, but they have all the components to be a good team,” Dunleavy said. “They’ve got size, low-post scoring. They’ve got outside shooting. They’ve got good point guard play, so they have all the components of being a really good team.”

Playing without All-Star guard Brandon Roy, Jarrett Jack paced Portland with 21 points off the bench. Jack scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and made nine of his 13 shots for the game.

The Trail Blazers struggled with their own shooting throughout the night, making only 30 of their 71 shots.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com