Clippers vs. Rockets: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season
Blake Griffin took advantage of a depleted Houston Rockets lineup to help the Los Angeles Clippers to a 102-85 victory.
Bleacher Report noted the strong performance from the All-Star power forward:
Griffin was 11-of-20 from the floor in a dominant effort for the Clippers as they improved to 10-5 on the year with an impressive road win. Jamal Crawford added 21, while DeAndre Jordan finished with 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Chris Paul didn't need to light up the scoreboard himself but made an impact with his 10 points, seven assists and five steals.
Houston fell to 12-4, despite James Harden's 16 points, six assists and two steals. He didn't get much help, as the offense was limited to just 39 percent shooting from the floor and turned it over 14 times.
Although this matchup could be a playoff preview, Friday's game was a one-sided affair.
The Rockets came into the day short-handed due to injuries to Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverley. Prior to Houston's recent win over the Sacramento Kings, Trevor Ariza discussed the team's rebounding challenge.
“It’s really going to be a team effort to keep them off the glass tonight," he said, per Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. "But we are going to roll with who we have and accept the challenge.”
Houston's lack of depth was an issue early when trying to defend Griffin, as explained by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
The Rockets only trailed by two at the end of the first quarter, but the Clippers pulled away quickly in the second. Adam Wexler of KPRC-TV noted the extended run for the visitors:
The one player who was performing well offensively for Houston was Isaiah Canaan, but he rolled his ankle during the second quarter. Feigen had the latest info on the guard:
As a result, an already depleted roster for Houston was left without a true point guard, and the offense suffered.
Dan Woike of The Orange County Register provided a look at the halftime score:
After the Clippers built the lead up to 18 during the third quarter, Adam Clanton of Sports 790 gave his thoughts:
Along the way, Crawford continued to do what he does best, as he lit it up from outside, even when getting fouled. Isaac Lowenkron of Fox Sports Radio tweeted an interesting note:
However, the Rockets fought their way back to keep it respectable going into the final 12 minutes. At this point, a mark of the team's defensive prowess was at stake:
The defense picked up at the start of the fourth quarter for both sides, as neither scored for three minutes.
But once the Clippers ended their drought, they got back to scoring consistently and finished with the highest point total a team has accumulated against Houston all season.
Despite the poor effort on both ends of the court, the Rockets can be satisfied with their 12-4 record.
They continue a tough stretch with a road game Saturday night against a young and talented Milwaukee Bucks team. With the lack of depth starting to become an issue, Houston could have problems keeping pace with the top teams in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles will finally finish its seven-game road trip Saturday with a battle against the Utah Jazz. After this winnable game, the Clippers will come home to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
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