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.
MORE: Top 10 NBA moments of 2015
"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."
Stud of the night:
The Wizards are one of the larger disappointments in the Eastern Conference, but in a 109-101 win over the Hornets, the Wizards and point guard John Wall looked liked playoff contenders. Wall finished the night with 27 points, 12 assists and three steals, while holding off a late Charlotte surge with this jumper that helped Washington separate late.
#WIZARDS WIN!!! John Wall with 27 points and 12 assists! #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/fRpGwHRH9X
— Wizards SPORTalk (@SPORTalkWizards) December 20, 2015Dud of the night:
Any Laker fits the description of a “dud” in a 118-78 loss to the Thunder, but L.A. big man Roy Hibbert was especially bad. In 23 minutes, Hibbert mustered just two points and three rebounds. It’s hard to believe Hibbert was an All-Star as recently as 2014.
Highlights:
Kevin Durant had 22 points and eight rebounds in the Thunder's win over the Lakers, and no play stood out more than the schooling he gave Lakers youngster Julius Randle with this display of handles. A 6-9 player should not be able to move like this.
Everyone on the Rockets’ roster got in the act in a big 107-97 win over the Clippers. Check out the slick alley-oop from Donatas Motiejunas to Clint Cappella.
Don’t look now, but the Knicks are playing great basketball. But the strangest thing that happened in Madison Square Garden may have been this tip-in by Chicago’s Joakim Noah that never fell. Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis are hypnotized.
Looking ahead (All times Eastern):
76ers (1-27) at Cavaliers (17-7), 3:30 p.m.: Very rarely is a game involving the 76ers a must-see, but Kyrie Irving is set to make his season debut Sunday for the Cavaliers. Irving hasn’t stepped on the court since a knee injury that cut his NBA Finals run short last year. And it may be interesting to see just how badly the Cavs beat Philly.
Timberwolves (10-16) at Nets (7-19), 1 p.m.: This early afternoon matchup in Brooklyn features the exciting young core of Minnesota with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine. Those three, along with Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad, have basketball fans in the Twin Cities thinking their 11-year playoff drought is nearing its end. Also, this marks Kevin Garnett’s first visit to Barclays Arena since being traded back to Minnesota last season.