Maybe the Clippers were worn down after a tough loss to the Spurs on Friday, or maybe the Rockets are once again Western Conference contenders.
Either way, James Harden, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Rockets were impressive in handing the Clippers (16-12) a 107-97 loss Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Houston (14-14) used a 38-point first quarter as a springboard and never relinquished the lead from that point forward.
"This was a great, great game for our group and something we’ve been looking for for awhile," Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters after the game.
Harden finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Howard dominated in the paint with 22 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. Trevor Ariza (17), Marcus Thornton (11) and Donatas Motiejunas also scored in double-digits.
The win was Houston’s ninth in its past 13 games. The Clippers are 0-3 this season in Texas.
"That’s a team we want to beat every single night," Bickerstaff said. "It’s been a while since we’ve played well and even longer since we’ve strung a few games together and played well."