INGLEWOOD — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue preached recently about the importance of stacking wins if his team hopes to turn around its flailing season.
The Clippers got one on Saturday. Now they have two after dismantling the Houston Rockets, 128-108, on Tuesday night at the Intuit Dome, winning consecutive games for just the second time this season.
Lue had mentioned that despite their single-digit victories and late-game struggles, the team was remaining positive and “not giving in” over the past five games. That attitude was evident on Tuesday against the Rockets.
Although the Clippers (8-21) have a long way to go to salvage their season, this was another step forward, another chance to climb toward a .500 record or better. All they had to do was hold off the Rockets (17-10), who were looking for redemption after losing to the last-place Sacramento Kings on Monday, and stop 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
That, and protect a double-digit lead in the second half, which has been a troublesome task this season. Yet, they managed to hold on for their eighth victory this season.
With the Rockets at near-full strength (guard Fred VanVleet is out for the season with a torn ACL) and Durant firing, the Clippers didn’t appear to have much of a chance to build on their victory over a depleted Lakers squad on Saturday, especially without center Ivica Zubac.
Zubac will miss at least the next 10 games after suffering a sprained left ankle against the Lakers. But the Clippers still had Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 41 points on 16-for-23 shooting (4 for 5 from 3-point range), eight rebounds and five assists, and James Harden, who added 29 points (12 for 13 at the free-throw line), four rebounds and six assists.
John Collins and Kobe Sanders added 13 points apiece and Kris Dunn scored 11 for the Clippers, who shot a scorching 54% (20 for 37) from 3-point range.
“It was a blow to us when Zu got hurt in the first 10 minutes (against the Lakers) and had to play a different style of basketball than you normally would,” Lue said about playing small without their 7-footer.
Behind Leonard’s hot shooting, the Clippers went on a 13-2 run to open a 92-75 lead with 3:10 left in the third quarter. Leonard scored 10 points in the quarter as the Clippers hung on for a 98-82 lead heading into the fourth.
The Rockets struggled to find much offensive rhythm in the final quarter and didn’t make much of a dent in the Clippers’ lead. And with the margin at 17 points and getting bigger, Durant sat out the fourth, watching the rest of the game from the end of the bench after contributing 22 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Clippers kept scoring, kept pushing until the lead swelled to 116-96 on a 3-pointer by Harden, his third of the game. Leonard hit a midrange jumper for a 22-point lead, and the crowd suddenly had more to cheer for than free t-shirts.
Sengun finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Amen Thompson scored 19 as well for the Rockets, who shot 9 for 30 (30%) from behind the arc while losing for the fourth time in five games. Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points.
The Clippers also won consecutive games Oct. 24-26, against Phoenix and Portland.
More to come on this story.
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