DeAndre Jordan outduels Hassan Whiteside in Clippers’ 102-98 victory over Miami

The buildup about the showdown between talented centers DeAndre Jordan and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside started Thursday, extended to Friday morning’s shoot-around and pushed into later that night during the pregame media session.

This story sprang to life when Whiteside said Thursday that Jordan “just catches lobs.”

Clearly, the Clippers were all aware of the comments, which was evident by how they looked to get Jordan involved early in a harrowing 102-98 win over the Heat that the Clippers center punctuated by scoring the game-sealing basket in a game the Clippers were starting to let slip away.

The Clippers had blown all but one point of a 16-point lead when Chris Paul stepped to the free-throw line with 9.4 seconds left Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Paul made the first free throw but missed the second, leaving the Clippers in a precarious situation.

But Jordan claimed the offensive rebound and scored what became the final basket.

Of course Jordan was asked whether he had found some solace in making the defining play considering the remarks Whiteside made.

“Naw, I just wanted to come out here and get a win,” Jordan said. “I like this city a lot. So, to come out here and get a win was cool.”

Jordan paused as the media looked at him.

He had played his normal role in helping the Clippers win for the fourth consecutive time. He was a force on the backboards, collecting 19 rebounds. He had an impact on defense, blocking three shots. And he did catch enough lob passes to help him score 12 points.

Jordan had outdueled Whiteside, who had 11 points, 17 rebounds and one blocked shot in a foul-plagued 30 minutes 42 seconds.

Now the media wanted more from Jordan, but he was unwilling to engage after the game.

“That’s not what you wanted, right?” Jordan asked, smiling again.

On the very first play of the game, the Clippers went to Jordan, having him come across the lane with Whiteside trailing. But they turned the ball over.

Later in the first quarter, Jordan got the ball down low and drew a foul on Whiteside after he had scored.

A few seconds later, Jordan ducked in for a pass, drawing the second foul on Whiteside.

So it sure looked as if the Clippers wanted Jordan to go at Whiteside, even if they denied that was the case after the game.

“C’mon, man,” said Paul, who had 17 points. “Big fella [Jordan] is first team All-NBA, first team All-Defense. He ain’t got to say nothing.”

Whiteside had stoked the flames when he rejected the thought that his game was in anyway similar to Jordan’s.

“He catches lobs,” Whiteside told the Miami media Thursday. “I shoot jumpers, catch lobs, block shots. I do a lot. He just catches lobs.”

At the shoot-around earlier Friday, Jordan had a better response than he had after the game.

“I do catch lobs,” Jordan said at the shoot-around. “I made first-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defense doing that.”