Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets snapped a six-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 110-105 victory at home.
Blake Griffin (elbow), Dwight Howard (knee) and Patrick Beverley (illness) all did not play.
Though the teams traded leads through the majority of the game, the Rockets' second unit gave the team the energy needed to pull away in the fourth quarter.
Despite 22 points from both Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers ultimately struggled to maintain a steady level of production. With their role players slumping, Los Angeles ultimately ran out of gas down the stretch as Houston danced away with its third consecutive win.
| James Harden | C+ |
| Terrence Jones | A- |
| Trevor Ariza | B+ |
| Donatas Motiejunas | A- |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
| Chris Paul | B+ |
| DeAndre Jordan | A |
| J.J. Redick | A= |
| Jamal Crawford | B |
| Rest of Team | D- |
Houston Rockets
James Harden: C+
James Harden has been historically bad against the Clippers. He has struggled to score from the field, both this year and prior. Wednesday night, the narrative continued as he went just 4-of-13 from the floor, missing his first six attempts—most of which were quality looks. ESPN Stats & Info noted Harden's career PPG percentage against the Clippers coupled with a first-quarter scoring snapshot from Wednesday night:
Nonetheless, he finished with 21 points. Getting to the line consistently, Harden scored 10 from the stripe. He also excelled as a facilitator, finishing the night with 10 assists.
However, even with a double-double, Harden's night was hardly one to remember. He struggled to get anything going from the floor and was sitting when Houston made its big fourth-quarter run.
Terrence Jones: A-
CBSSports' Jared Dubin highlighted how well Terrence Jones played post-injury, complemented by his stats:
Jones was a powerhouse on the defensive end. Using his fantastic length and athleticism, Jones was able to notch five blocks—four of which came prior to halftime.
With Dwight Howard still sitting, Jones' ability to alter shots and drive slashers out of the paint was crucial.
Offensively, he scored 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Also grabbing eight rebounds, Jones enjoyed an overall solid night.
Trevor Ariza: B+
KPRC-TV's Adam Wexler pointed out Trevor Ariza's three-point shooting percentage for February as his best during a full month:
Ariza's 2014-15 campaign has seen its ups and downs, which largely correlate to his ability to connect from long range.
For the most part, Ariza was on against the Clippers. He finished the night with 14 points, going 5-of-9 from deep and 6-of-11 from the floor.
He also led the team defensively along the perimeter and was switched onto Chris Paul once the guard began scoring at a high clip.
Overall, Ariza did little to stand out, but he met his expectations on both ends of the floor.
Donatas Motiejunas: A-
Donatas Motiejunas continued his solid campaign with an 18-point, nine-rebound performance.
Taking quality looks, Motiejunas enjoyed an efficient 7-of-11 night from the floor. His above-average passing ability also helped to ignite Houston's offense, which got its players good looks though many struggled to convert. Rockets Insider noted Montijunas' significant contribution:
Coming alive in the final half, the Rockets' starting big man was imperative to his team's ultimate success, especially with Josh Smith struggling to score off the bench.
Rest of Team: B+
Though Smith (2-of-9 from the floor) struggled to find the bottom of the net, Houston's bench enjoyed a solid night.
Corey Brewer scored a sneaky 20 points, coming alive down the stretch as Houston began to pull away. Leading the offense during their run was the newly acquired Pablo Prigioni, who logged a team-high plus-12 in the plus/minus column.
Even Smith, whose shooting clip was hardly ideal, finished one point and one rebound short of a double-double.
Only Jason Terry, who went 3-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-7 from deep, seemed to be a consistent liability for the Rockets.
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: B+
Coming off a 30-point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Paul went off again against Houston, scoring 22 points and notching 14 assists.
Playing a heavy 39 minutes, Paul led the Clippers offense from the start, despite going scoreless in the opening period.
Teaming up with DeAndre Jordan to form a formidable pick-and-roll duo, the All-Star point guard was his usual, dominant self as a facilitator.
DeAndre Jordan: A
Jordan's incredible rebounding season continued. He carried Los Angeles on the boards with 19 overall—10 of which came in the first quarter.
He also scored 22 points—doing so on a characteristically high 9-of-12 clip. Having found his stride in the middle quarters, Jordan was a dynamic presence inside. Paul looked toward him as the duo executed a perfect pick-and-roll.
He excelled as the Clippers stretched the floor with a small-ball lineup, controlling the interior as he shouldered a heavy burden on both ends without Griffin.
J.J. Redick: A-
Throughout the season, J.J. Redick has carried the Clippers in the first quarter. Against Houston, the narrative continued.
He scored 10 points in the opening quarter, hitting four of his first five field goals. He yielded the scoring burden to Jamal Crawford in the second period but continued to space the floor and create opportunities for his teammates inside.
Especially effective from mid-range, Redick and his 15 points were crucial for the Clippers, though his inability to replicate his initial production hurt L.A. when they struggled to score in the final period.
Jamal Crawford: B
Jamal Crawford is incredibly streaky—though he seems to do the same thing all the time. It doesn't matter whether he's hot or cold, he makes the same moves and takes the same shots. Sometimes, though, those shots happen to go in.
Such was the case Wednesday night. Crawford lit up the scoreboard in the first half, scoring 18 points before the break with the bulk coming in the second quarter. He finished the night with a game-high 24.
With the rest of the second unit quiet, Crawford was crucial as a dynamic bench spark. Consistently making the Rockets pay whenever they gave him an inch of breathing room, the team's second-unit leader enjoyed a solid night, even if his production and efficiency peaked in the second period.
Rest of Team: D-
Whereas Houston enjoyed balance on the offensive end, the rest of the Clippers team scored a combined 22 points on a dreadful 7-of-32 clip.
Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes were especially awful, shooting 1-of-9 and 2-of-10, respectively, in the starting lineup.
The bench's inability to compete at a high level put tremendous pressure on the starters who simply ran out of energy by the game's end.
Though L.A.'s stars were solid, the team's lack of depth and balance ultimately ruined their chances of winning.
Up Next
The Clippers next play Friday, when they'll visit the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. The contest will be an opportunity for revenge for a Los Angeles team that dropped its Monday matchup with Memphis, despite 30 points for Chris Paul.
Losing 90-87 at home, L.A. simply couldn't find any offensive balance to hang with a well-rounded Grizzlies team. With Memphis—which will be at home—having picked up momentum, the Clippers will face a steep uphill battle.
Houston will also have a day of rest, before hosting the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn, a fringe playoff contender that has hovered around the East's eighth seed throughout the season, shouldn't be as difficult a matchup as the Clippers.
