By Jonah Sharf
On December 14, 1988, expansion team the Miami Heat earned their first-ever victory in their 18th game, an 89-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Heat won thanks to a balanced scoring attack led by 15 points each from Grant Long, Pat Cummings and Billy Thompson. Point guard Rory Sparrow also helped the team to victory with nine assists. Danny Manning and Quintin Dailey led the Clippers with 23 and 21 points, respectively, but their strong performances weren’t enough to beat the then-winless Heat. The Heat would finish with a 15-67 record in their first season.