Clippers no longer seeking respect after toppling Heat

• The Clippers bolstered their status as contenders with a 107-100 win over the Heat on Wednesday.
• Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the Clippers were one of the deeper teams in the NBA.
• Chris Paul's performance drew rave reviews from Heat forwards LeBron James and Shane Battier.

LOS ANGELES — This wasn't the L.A. team the Miami Heat were supposed to be worried about.

The Los Angeles Clippers had earned respect from the champs and others, to be sure, having survived that test of wills against Memphis in the first round last May when it was made clear that this new foundation — Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and their many friends — was to be taken seriously. But the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, with Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and the boys, were the new threat to the crown, right?

Not at the moment.

The 6-2 Clippers put on a clinic against the 6-3 Heat in their 107-100 win on Wednesday night, showing no compassion for Dwyane Wade's sprained left footwhile continuing to showcase this roster that is deep and dynamic and so very dangerous thus far. Chris Paul did what top 10 talents do, taking over in three minutes of MVP-caliber play late in the third quarter when he scored the final 10 points — a deep three, a slightly-less-deep three and free throws — to put the Clippers up 11 entering the fourth. Those were 10 of his 16 points on the night, to go with 10 assists and infinite praise from a Heat group that has officially taken notice.

"We know and respect what these guys are about," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said afterward. "We view them as legit contenders for the title, and they were that last year and they improved with their offseason, so they played a good game.

"They have proven guys that have been starters before, and now they've sacrificed to be a part of this. There's no question they're one of the deeper teams in the league."

James, who had 30 points and seven assists and was virtually alone on offense save for a 14-point effort from Ray Allen, had no problem raving about the longtime friend who has his Clippers making major strides this season.

"They've got a great bunch, and those guys all work well together," James said. "It starts with Chris and trickles down to everyone else. They're playing some good basketball.

"He's always aware when he needs to pick his points, pick his shots, or get into attack (mode) and make things happen. That's why I've always felt that he's the best point guard in the NBA."

Keep in mind, many a November projection has looked foolish by the time the new year rolled around. The Clippers have a tough road trip on the horizon — at San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Brooklyn and Atlanta - and there are those who wonder if Paul's supporting cast can really keep this up.

Much like his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Raymond Felton in New York, guard Jamal Crawford is in the midst of a revival that has him leading the race for Sixth Man of the Year. He scored another 22 points against the Heat, hitting those trademark circus shots that — as Heat small forward Shane Battier would say — good defenders are more than willing to give up but get so deflated to see go in.

All told, Crawford — who was unhappy with the Portland Trail Blazers last season and signed with the Clippers as a free agent — is averaging 20.3 points (12th in the league). Eric Bledsoe added 12 points and had the highlight of the night, and that's saying something in these parts where Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan dominate the air space. In the second quarter, he leapt while backpedaling and met Wade above the rim to deny his dunk attempt and add to his all-together-miserable night (six points on 2 of 10 shooting). Griffin had an assertive 20 points and 14 rebounds, then even pitched in six assists and two blocks. In other words, it's a dreamy start for the Clippers as they make this push to join the elite and convince Paul to re-sign as a free agent this summer.

"They're very good," Battier said. "Chris Paul is the difference. He's comfortable with the system now, and this is his team. It's CP3's team. He's the premier floor general in the league right now, and when he controls tempo like he does they're difficult to beat."

It won't stay like this until the end, though, so the next test, as Battier cautioned, looms for the Clippers at an as-yet-undetermined date. The asterisk in this win comes with Wade's status, too, as he had an X-Ray on his ailing left foot and is playing through a number of other ailments (James listed Wade's ankle, foot and finger among them) that may keep him out of Thursday night's game at Denver.

"You have to go through adversity before you get in that (title contender) club, and every team gets adversity at some point," Battier said of the Clippers. "It's a matter of what do you do when that adversity hits, because every team (handles it) in different ways. I'd say that about any team. Let's see how they handle adversity."

There's been none to handle so far.