Clippers vs. Rockets: Game 2 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

Pushing himself through a combination of fatigue and frustration, Blake Griffin did all he could to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 2-0 lead. It just wasn't enough.

James Harden scored a team-high 32 points, and Dwight Howard turned in a double-double as the Houston Rockets earned a 115-109 victory over the Clippers in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1 heading to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Friday. Bleacher Report highlighted the win:

Griffin scored a game-high 34 points, 26 of which came as part of a sterling first half. DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 12 rebounds in what was increasingly a two-man show for the Clippers.

The Rockets, meanwhile, continued to be defined by their ability to get to the free-throw line. Houston's 64 free throws came within six of matching the record of 70, which was set all the way back in 1956. ESPN Stats & Info noted another record-setting stat as it relates to Houston's free-throw attempts:

Fifteen of Harden's 32 points came from the charity stripe, atoning for a 7-of-17 performance from the field. For the Rockets fans in attendance, it was a microcosm of Harden's near-MVP season.

Despite a few ugly flails at the rim that had no chance of going in and struggles with his long-range shot, Harden was still able to force his way into an efficient evening. It was also a bit of a mean regression after the Clippers held him to six free throws in Game 1. Nate Jones provided his analysis regarding Harden drawing a "ton of fouls":

"It's playoff basketball," Clippers forward Matt Barnes said coming into the game, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

"James has a great knack of being able to draw fouls and get to the line. That's where he's made his living. He's incredible at that. A lot of times, you look back at that and a lot of the times you can look back at that and a lot of those aren't fouls."

Howard got to the line 21 times and was the recipient of a number of intentional fouls as Clippers coach Doc Rivers attempted to extend the game. If the NBA does decide to look into the Hack-a-Player situation, this game, which clocked in near the three-hour mark, may be Exhibit A.

Howard added 16 rebounds on the night, giving him three straight double-doubles. A major question mark following an injury-plagued regular season, the eight-time All-Star has continued to look spry on both ends since his return.

It also helps that Harden and Howard again got help from the supporting cast. Every Rockets starter scored in double figures, with Trevor Ariza (15 points, 13 rebounds) turning in his second double-double of the postseason. Corey Brewer also had 11 points, leading all bench scorers on a night when Josh Smith was held largely in check.

Playing without an injured Chris Paul for a second straight game, the Clippers have to feel somewhat encouraged about taking home-court advantage. Paul's status has still not yet been determined for Game 3.

"I don't know if I'm discouraged or encouraged about Game 3, but he's just going to have to take it day by day," Rivers told reporters, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Basketball Insiders' Jabari A. Davis was impressed by Houston, but he ponders how CP3's presence would impact the series:

Most of the Clippers core has experience playing (and succeeding) without Paul. The All-Star point guard sat out 20 games last season, a period in which Griffin took a seismic leap as a player while keeping the Clippers near the top of the Western Conference. Griffin, as he did a year ago, has taken the leadership reins and run with them.

"I mean with CP, obviously besides his on-court production, you miss his leadership and his talks, and that void needs to be filled, but I kind of have to do it in my own way. I can't just emulate Chris," Griffin told reporters before the game, according to Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times.

Griffin was instrumental to the Clippers' effort Wednesday, spearheading a 41-point second quarter that took Los Angeles into halftime ahead by nine. He'd scored 26 points in only 18 minutes before the break, which NBA.com/Stats noted:

While Griffin has manned up and taken the leadership role, there are just some areas where he can't quite emulate the best point guard of this generation.

With Houston mitigating Griffin's passing skills and forcing him to beat them himself, the Clippers offense stagnated for long stretches. Austin Rivers regressed into his worst habits following a solid Game 1, including a critical turnover as the Clippers were mounting a comeback in the fourth.

Jamal Crawford shot an abysmal 6-of-22 from the field on a series of ill-fated isos, though he did add five assists. J.J. Redick struggled for spacing and shot 3-of-10 in 46 minutes. The Clippers' nearly fatal lack of depth, which was not a problem in Game 1, proved to be a crushing blow in Game 2.

Nearly every Clippers possession involved Griffin somehow handling the ball, and by the end of the fourth quarter, the wear was taking its toll. Much like the Spurs series, most of the second half featured Griffin battling through exhaustion to diminishing results. He made only two of his nine shots after the break and was responsible for three of the Clippers' seven turnovers.

The cold reality for Los Angeles is that Griffin cannot win a playoff series by himself without Paul. And neither can Paul do so without Griffin. Their ability to carry stretches of the regular season alone left some promise in that regard, but the margin for error thins in the playoffs. Every advantage, minor or major, matters.

The Clippers were able to overcome the defending champion Spurs with a hobbled Paul. If CP3 isn't able to even get to that level and back on the floor, odds are the results are going to resemble Game 2 far more often than Game 1.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.