LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers are back to their early-season form, center DeAndre Jordan said.

J.J. Redick scored 25 points, and the Clippers coasted to a 98-86 victory over the shorthanded Miami Heat on Sunday at Staples Center.

Chris Paul added 19 points, 18 assists and six rebounds for the Clippers (26-14), who won their fourth in a row. Paul topped the 8,000-career-assist mark, finishing at 8,012.

Marreese Speights delivered 19 points off the bench for Los Angeles, and Brandon Bass contributed 12 points.

"We had a rough stretch, but I feel like we're getting back to defending," said Jordan, who collected 18 rebounds to go with seven points.

Before staging their successful run, the Clippers lost six in a row.

"We're just playing team basketball, moving the ball around, finding the open guy, playing the right way," Jordan said.

Clippers guard Austin Rivers missed the contest with flu.

Goran Dragic led the Heat (11-28) with 24 points. Hassan Whiteside, who returned after missing four games with a right retinal contusion, chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Miami's Tyler Johnson and James Johnson scored 12 points apiece.

"I feel like we tried to be aggressive, but the Clippers were just better. At least we were battling to the end," said Dragic, who scored 17 of his points in the second half.

The Heat were without Josh Richardson (left foot sprain) and Luke Babbitt (flu).

Despite being without two starters, the Heat stayed within striking range for much of the first half. However, a late flourish by the Clippers allowed them to take a 52-39 advantage at the break.

Los Angeles outscored Miami 32-20 in the second quarter. Redick scored eight of his 15 first-half points in the quarter.

"They're obviously a dynamic pick-and-roll team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You see it 50 or 60 (times) a game. Redick really broke it open in the second quarter and was really creating great separation."

In the third quarter, the Clippers increased their lead to as much as 23 points before the Heat cut it to 76-66 on a bucket inside by Dragic. But a basket by Bass and a Bass steal leading to a layup by Redick in the final seven seconds of the third boosted the Clippers to an 80-66 edge heading into the fourth.

A 9-2 surge to open the fourth pushed the margin to 21 points and helped the Clippers seal the outcome.

Just like old times.

"I definitely think we have stabilized a little bit," said Redick, who connected on 9 of 19 shots from the floor and 4 of 8 from 3-point range. "I think sometimes during the course of the year, you forget what your identity is and what makes you good. What made us good in the beginning of the year in that first stretch of games was how hard we played, and I think we have gotten back to that over the last eight or nine days."

Heat guard Dion Waiters was ejected with 3:09 left in the third quarter for a flagrant 2 foul after throwing an elbow to the back of Redick's head. Waiters finished with eight points in 15 minutes.

Spoelstra, Dragic and James Johnson all were issued technical fouls in the second half.

The Clippers limited the Heat to 36.9 percent shooting while making 41.9 percent of their attempts. Fifteen Miami turnovers, leading to 19 points, also didn't help their cause. Los Angeles committed 11 miscues (resulting in 10 points).

"They make it hard for you to score," Redick said. "They play really hard and try to muck things up. Our floppy action tonight was good. Chris, obviously, every night he's good, but tonight he had some plays where he was a magician with the ball."

NOTES: Miami C Willie Reed, who started in the absence of injured C Hassan Whiteside, was averaging 16.7 points, 11 rebounds and 2.33 blocks in the three previous games. He finished with four points and 10 boards in 17 minutes Sunday. ... Los Angeles C DeAndre Jordan ranks second to Dwight Howard for most career games with 20 or more rebounds by active players. Jordan has 35 to Howard's 73. ... The Clippers are 7-7 without injured F Blake Griffin (right knee surgery). Last season, they were 31-16. ... The Heat visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. ... The Clippers host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.