The LA Clippers have acquired Houston Rockets forward KJ Martin in exchange for two future second-round draft picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Martin was the 52nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but has blossomed in his three years in Houston, growing into a part-time starter for the admittedly dreadful Rockets last season. He played in all 82 of Houston’s games, starting 49 and averaging 28 minutes, 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. His three-point shooting took a slight dip in year 3, but overall he has shot 34% from deep on 4.6 attempts per 100 possessions in his career–a clear step down from the Clippers’ veteran power forward options. But still just 22 years old with over 200 games and 5,000 minutes of NBA experience (and 350 NBA dunks!), Martin brings a combination of youthful upside and NBA experience that the Clippers were unlikely to find anywhere else on the trade market. While undersized at the power forward spot at 6’6″, he’s a phenomenal athlete that will quickly become a fan favorite due to his exceptional dunking prowess and high defensive motor.

The Clippers traded two future 2nds for Martin and absorbed his $1.9M salary into the trade exception created by the Reggie Jackson trade in February. While 2 2nds is an entirely appropriate cost for Martin, the Clippers do have to be mindful of their future 2nd round pick situation, as they also traded 2 2nds for Bones Hyland at the deadline. Both are good value deals, but LAC is quickly running out of future 2nds, as they’ve also already traded their own selections in 2024, 2025, 2027, and 2028. Martin is entering the fourth season of his cheap deal signed as a second-round rookie–but that means that he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, depriving the Clippers of the right of first refusal teams get for first round rookies and players finishing contracts in their first 3 seasons in the NBA. They will have full bird rights to re-sign him.

It’s easy to see where Martin fits into the Clippers’ weaknesses, as he’s a virtually perfect fit to address some of the biggest complaints about their roster: age, speed, athleticism, motor. Figuring out where he fits in the rotation will be another question. His shooting won’t make for ideal floor-spacing, especially if he starts in the same lineup as recently re-signed Russell Westbrook (though honestly, his ability to cut threateningly is going to go a long way in offsetting defenders sagging from the corner). He’s also not ideally-sized at power forward, though that’s clearly the position where the Clippers need the most help. If Terance Mann starts in an undersized unit, Martin could play either forward position off the bench–he could also find himself in that role if Mann is part of a package moved for a star.

On a final note, “KJ” of course stands for Kenyon Junior, as in Kenyon Martin Junior, son of former Clipper Kenyon Martin, who was a part of the Clippers’ 2012 playoff run in the first year of Lob City. KJ was born in Gardena and played at Sierra Canyon High School. Welcome home, KJ.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers Trade for KJ Martin
Lucas Hann

Despite some unrealized excitement earlier in the week, the Clippers had an uncharacteristically quiet draft night (they didn’t make a single trade tonight after making at least one during each of the last 8 NBA Drafts). For the first time since Lawrence Frank took over basketball operations from Doc Rivers, the Clippers simply entered the day with two picks, made them, and called it a night. While the hope is that these two guys–Kobe and Jordan–develop into good players, it’s unlikely that either is a major factor in the Clippers’ pursuit of the 2024 NBA title. Forward Kobe Brown will be on the 15-man roster in a reserve role behind a host of veterans, while wing Jordan Miller is expected to sign a two-way contract, spending most of the upcoming season with the Ontario Clippers.

The biggest story of the draft for the Clippers, though, wasn’t who they took–it was the players who weren’t moved. It’s no secret that the team is ready to move on from Marcus Morris, who has been the team’s primary power forward for the last 3.5 years. Originally, the team expected to send the 30th pick and Marcus Morris to the Washington Wizards in a 3-team trade that would have brought guard Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles, but they backed out over concerns regarding Brogdon’s health. Adding Brown with the 30th pick instead is all well and good, but the clear need to move on from Morris at the power forward position remains–and the team targeting Brogdon (and Chris Paul who was dealt to the Golden State Warriors today) suggests that they’re looking to move for a guard and a forward this summer. Whether the goal of making a big addition at guard is to replace or complement Russell Westbrook, who is an unrestricted free agent, is anyone’s guess.

At guard, the Clippers could always simply re-sign Westbrook, having sufficient depth to round out a solid guard rotation without an addition (Bones Hyland will definitely appreciate not being stuck behind two hall of fame point guards next year). Questions about the championship upside of putting his shooting and turnover issues alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard remain, but it would hardly be a surprise to see him back with the team after he became the emotional centerpiece of an otherwise listless Clipper team last year and put up big numbers in the team’s first round loss with George and Leonard sidelined. I’d still look for the Clippers to deal a guard (Westbrook, Hyland, Norman Powell, and Eric Gordon is one too many guys as long as Paul George is starting at shooting guard, and that’s without mentioning Terance Mann, who more easily slots into the backup small forward role), likely Gordon who is the most expendable and movable due to a combination of skill level, age, and contract status.

Westbrook cannot be traded as a current free agent, only re-signed. Powell’s contract is likely unappealing to trade partners, but he’s an important piece for the Clippers, so it’s hard to see a win-win deal developing there. Mann and Hyland both represent players with positive trade value, but they’re both players the Clippers would be reluctant to part with lightly. Gordon, at 34 years old and with a fully non-guaranteed salary of $20.9M next season, is an easy choice to explore moving. The Clippers face an interesting decision with Gordon–in many ways, he’s a completly expendable piece on this team, because if Westbrook is retained (or another guard added in his place) the team can build a comfortable backup rotation with Hyland, Powell, and Mann. While it’s certainly possible that Ty Lue would play Gordon over Hyland if both are on the team in October, it wouldn’t be healthy for the organization to invest minutes in a mediocre 34-year-old veteran over a high-upside (if tumultuous) 23-year-old prospect. Cutting Gordon does Lue a favor by taking away a bad choice and leaving him with a straightforward guard rotation. At the same time, Gordon isn’t a bad player, and the Clippers aren’t getting that $21M salary slot back if they release him. He has on-floor utility, especially during a regular season where you know you won’t always have your first-choice 10-man rotation available, and could be a part of a deadline deal as a huge expiring. Then there’s the tax angle: simply releasing Gordon would save the Steve Ballmer something like $100M next season. Even for the league’s wealthiest owner, that’s gotta be hard to not consider for a guy who shouldn’t be in the nightly rotation.

Even if the Clippers are hunting for an upgrade at guard, the possibility of running it back with Russ at least exists. That isn’t the case at power forward, where Morris was woefully ineffective for the majority of last season before losing his starting job late in the year. His time with the team, both on the court and interpersonally, seems to have fully run its course. 34-year-old backup glue guy Nico Batum isn’t exactly ambitious to take over starter’s minutes, and it’s hard to imagine Ty Lue trusting Robert Covington to fill Morris’ shoes next season after routinely giving him the cold shoulder last year. In fact, while Gordon and Morris almost need to be moved in this off-season, Covington is the third player who I most expect to depart. The non-trade options for the Clippers to address replacing Morris come down to Covington and Kawhi Leonard… and while I’m into the idea of shifting Kawhi to PF in certain lineups, it’s hard to imagine the team asking their oft-unavailable superstar small forward to play against bigger, stronger opponents on a nightly basis in the regular season.

Knowing that the Clippers should be shopping Gordon and Morris (and Covington) hard while looking for a guard upgrade/insurance and a new starting power forward is the easy part. Making a deal or two along those lines is a bigger challenge. Without the 30th pick to attach in deals (the Clippers can still trade Kobe Brown’s draft rights, but the pick is always more valuable as currency before the selection is made), the Clippers will have a hard time attracting much interest in Gordon and Morris. In fact, last night, the Sacramento Kings straight-up gave Dallas the 24th overall pick in order to take the undesired contract of Richaun Holmes–and Holmes is a useful player that the Mavericks will use! If 24 + Holmes = nothing, then 30 + Morris = Brogdon was actually a massive win (health notwithstanding)… and Morris without 30 = less than nothing. The Clippers are hardly in a position to give up future picks, Terance Mann, or Bones Hyland just to get off of Morris’ contract, so unless someone is really clamoring for Amir Coffey or Brandon Boston Jr., they’ll have to get creative to make a deal work.

As far as I can figure, the Clippers’ best bet is to go deeper into the crevasse by trading Gordon and Morris for less desirable contracts, thereby creating a situation of leverage where they can get some value back to help the team next year (either via a flippable asset or a useful player on an undesired contract). Say what you will about not wanting to pay them next season, but both of their contracts end after just one more year (and in Gordon’s case, only the amount required to make trade math becomes guaranteed, meaning he could offer some instant savings–more on this in a second). That’s not true for someone like Ben Simmons, who will make $40M in 2024-25. Would the Nets downgrade from Dorian Finney-Smith to Robert Covington if it meant the Clippers ate Simmons’ extra year in exchange for Gordon and Morris? Would they give LAC an additional asset too? If the Heat need Duncan Robinson’s outgoing salary to make a trade work this summer but their trade partner doesn’t fancy owing him $30M over the two seasons beyond next year, would Miami compensate the Clippers for taking on that deal in exchange for Morris’ expiring, and could they use that asset with Gordon to land a new power forward? Would the rebuilding Hornets jump at the opportunity to offload 3 years and $75M of Terry Rozier, a player who could be useful to LAC? What about the Hawks and ever-rumored forward John Collins’ similarly big deal? Atlanta particularly strikes me as a team that has to prepare to pay their upcoming young talent and could look to offload money this summer to set the stage for those deals in future years.

While it’s possible that some trade partners could value Gordon as a short-term role player, his presence allows for some immediate savings, too. His deal is fully non-guaranteed, which means the Clippers are completely off the hook for his salary if they cut him by June 28th. It’s not a complete mulligan for trade partners, though–enough of his contract needs to be guaranteed to make a trade legal. Still, teams can save money that way. Let’s look at that Gordon/Morris/Covington for Simmons/Finney-Smith deal, just as an example. To bring back those two players, the Clippers would have to send out about $38.6M. After Morris and Covington, the Clippers would only need an additional $10M, meaning that the Nets could immediately cut Gordon and have trimmed $13M ($19.6M if they elect to stretch his salary hit over the next 3 years) from their payroll for next season on top of savings on Simmons’ additional year.

Of course, there is the possibility of bigger deals solving these issues organically–maybe Gordon, Morris, Terance Mann, and future picks can land the Clippers Zach LaVine (good luck figuring out how to make him fit with Paul and Kawhi on offense, but talent is talent). If they get off of Morris’ deal in such a fashion, there are a couple of younger, less established power forwards that the Clippers could always look at as upside plays with the knowledge that they can turn to Batum or move Kawhi up a position in the playoffs: Obi Toppin is looking for a way out of New York to a bigger role, and the Clippers are rumored to have interest in Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. One issue with targeting Toppin or Martin, aside from their relative inexperience and unprovenness, is that their salaries are too low to make a swap for Morris easy. Another is that they’d likely cost draft capital to acquire, something the Clippers have very little of and need to treasure.

Then, there are the elephant(s) in the room: the lingering rumored availability of Paul George in trade talks (and Damian Lillard’s satisfaction in Portland). It’s been mentioned throughout the week that the Clippers are gauging George’s value, though the latest update from Andrew Greif in the LA Times suggests that the feedback they received wasn’t great, with teams concerned about the downside of trading serious packages for a 33-year-old with a looming opt-out next summer who has averaged just 47 games played over his 4 years as a Clipper (2 of which were shortened from 82 to 72 games due to COVID scheduling, for what it’s worth). Still, Knicks reporter Ian Begley says he would expect New York to continue a pursuit of George if the Clippers are open to trading the star wing. The problem: both teams are trying to get closer to a championship in the near future, not further away. The Clippers would surely entertain a George-Randle framework for the same age, health, and contract reasons that the Knicks wouldn’t; the Clippers would hopefully rebuff a package built around RJ Barrett for the same quality disparity reasons the Knicks would pursue it. Perhaps a convenient way out: if Damian Lillard does finally decide it is time to leave the Trail Blazers behind instead of hanging around to mentor #3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, could a 3-team deal sending George to the Knicks, Lillard to the Clippers, and Barrett and a heap of draft picks to the Blazers satisfy everyone? The Knicks are committed to Jalen Brunson as their younger, cheaper star point guard, but covet a two-way All-NBA wing to join their core, while the Clippers would embrace the Lillard upgrade, especially given George’s reluctance to be a playmaker last season. I wouldn’t bet money on it, but I wouldn’t rule it out either. Lillard isn’t eligible to be traded until July 9th, the one-year anniversary of signing his designated veteran maximum extension last summer, so I’d expect these talks to be slow-developing as all sides (including Lillard himself) consider their options.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

After Quiet Draft, Clippers Need Trades For Gordon, Morris
Lucas Hann

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the LA Clippers have traded Luke Kennard to the Memphis Grizzlies in a 3-team deal that will net them the Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon:

Exact details on deadline trades can often take hours (or even days) to trickle out, especially for minor matters like “which 2nd round picks got thrown into this trade?” The current reporting on this deal suggests that the Clippers sent Kennard to Memphis for 3 second-round picks, while they sent John Wall and swap rights in the first round in this year’s draft to Houston for Gordon. Veteran wing Danny Green is heading from Memphis to Houston as part of the trade to facilitate salary-matching. Notably, the Clippers also sent out 3 second-round picks today, 2 for Bones Hyland and 1 for Mason Plumlee. However, we’ll have to wait for the dust to settle before we know if those are the same picks or if there is a value differential between what was sent out and brought in. (Update: Andrew Greif has the details on the 2nds the Clippers got in this trade–though which of them remain in the team’s war chest is unclear.)

Getting three second-round picks for Kennard is not an amazing return that blows you a way, but it makes sense–the Clippers likely missed an opportunity to sell high on Luke last summer and it was always going to be hard to move a $15M salary for a player that was only on the fringes of their rotation. It certainly has seemed for weeks that the emergence of Norman Powell meant that the writing was on the wall for Luke, and recouping some value while repurposing his salary into a player that was a better fit for what Ty Lue is searching for in the rotation. There is the element of what Kennard brings to the Grizzlies, a conference rival and potential opponent of the Clippers. While I don’t want to dismiss his shooting or the Grizzlies’ quality (they could easily beat LAC in a series with or without Kennard), I think it is probably wise that the Clippers are focused more on making moves to improve themselves than worrying about Memphis. Both teams have significantly larger concerns in the form of the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.

The real question is if repurposing Kennard’s salary slot into Eric Gordon was the move that the Clippers needed. The former Clipper draft pick is now 34 years old and makes just under $20M this year before getting a raise to $20.9M next season, and isn’t quite the scoring volume/efficiency monster that he was as a support scorer for James Harden in Houston years ago. He’s still a better scoring option than the guards he is replacing–he creates for himself far more than Luke Kennard is capable of doing and does so much more efficiently than Reggie Jackson or John Wall. However, he’s more like Norman Powell as a player than the “point guard” archetype that the Clippers had been linked to–Mike Conley, Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, etc. What he does still do effectively is drive, so he brings a potential value add of initiating the Clippers’ paint-and-spray offense, even if he isn’t going to be a super dynamic playmaker.

Gordon’s contract is team-friendly, as the $20.9M salary for next season is fully non-guaranteed. Typically for a veteran deal, there would be a trigger date where he would have to be waived before free agency opens to allow him to find a new team, but Spotrac doesn’t show that for his contract–I’d take that with a grain of salt just because it’s unusual. Regardless, it’s a big expiring for next year that doesn’t have to be guaranteed if he is moved in a draft-day deal, meaning that acquiring Gordon–much like Eric Bledsoe not too long ago–might be a deal made with the next trade in mind, especially because they did not move any future first round pick capital at this deadline and are set up to be able to put pretty compelling offers together this summer.

The pick swap here hurts, in my opinion. The upcoming draft is very deep and the Clippers are starving for youth, athleticism, talent, and upside. Currently their own pick is slated to be 18th, while the Milwaukee Bucks pick that Houston will have the right to swap is slated to be 28th. The draft order will change as the standings do, but it’s going to be a notable shift backwards in the first round. Losing John Wall is a non-factor for the Clippers, as he was unlikely to play for the team again. He, funnily enough, heads to the Houston Rockets, who will buy him out for the second time in under a year. It appears unlikely that his NBA career will continue.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

NBA Trade Deadline: Clippers swap Luke Kennard for Eric Gordon
Lucas Hann

The Clippers started their two game Texas road trip in Houston on Wednesday night. Coming off a dramatic win on Monday also against the Rockets, the Clippers were able to start a mini winning streak. Paul George and, surprise, Moses Brown were the stories of the night, but check out our full recap of the game below:

Summary

The Clippers came out hot to start the game, putting up 34 points in the first quarter to the Rockets’ 24. At one point, the Clippers had an 18 point lead, but the Rockets’ bench was able to outscore the Clippers’ reserves in the last four minutes of the quarter.

The Rockets continued their steady comeback push in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 29-22. Nonetheless, the Clippers were able to take a three point lead into the half thanks to a four-point play by Nic Batum. Through two quarters, Marcus Morris, Sr. had 18 points on 7/10 shooting (3/6 from three) and Paul George added 10. The bench, however, continued to get outscored, with each Clipper reserve posting a negative plus-minus, largely because they shot 5/13 from the field.

The Clippers would go on to win the last two quarter by five total points. Notably, with Ivica Zubac in foul trouble (4 fouls in the first half), Ty Lue opted to play Moses Brown to start the third quarter. He went on to play 9:36 of the frame—he finished the game with 12 minutes—and brought an interesting dynamic as another big body who could run with John Wall in transition. In the third, he had 11 points on 5/7 shooting and three rebounds, but he was 1/3 from the free throw line and had three fouls. On balance, he helped the Clippers win this game, though this was not exactly against elite NBA talent.

The real star of the second half was, of course, Paul George. George finished the game with 28 points (18 second half points), four rebounds, four assists, and a steal on 10/20 shooting from the field (3/8 from three) in 37 minutes. It turns out that the 20 FGA threshold is pretty important for the Clippers, as they are 3-0 when he shoots it at least 20 times.

Notes

More Moses Brown Minutes?: The small-ball or not-to-small-ball debate has been raging through Clippers Nation so far this year. On one hand, the Clippers have five good “big” wings (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, and Robert Covington), and the Clippers have had success going “small” in the past. On the other hand, however, the Clippers have been going too small, playing four guards with one “big” wing at the center position. It seems pretty clear that this formula is not tenable, especially when opposing teams can put out a “true” back up center.

With Zubac in foul trouble tonight—and Kawhi and Covington out—Moses Brown got the nod. Whether or not Brown is a long-term solution to the backup center position is still an open question, even after a solid outing in Houston. First, as Ty Lue said post game, there are already not enough minutes to go around. Second, Moses will have to replicate this performance a few times before he can earn the trust he failed to earn in the preseason.

Point Guard Play: Reggie Jackson and John Wall were a combined 7/17 from the field (0/7 from three) and continued to take questionable shots. Reggie got the lion’s share of minutes (33), whereas John Wall played just 15. The Clippers’ schedule starts to get tougher as we work through the month, so at least one of them will have to step it up on a more consistent basis soon.

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ game against the Rockets. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers back to .500, beat Rockets 109-101
Kenneth Armstrong

On Monday, the Clippers got back in the win column against the Rockets—thanks to the heroics of Paul George. On Wednesday, they will take on the same opponent, but with a change of venue. Check out our preview of the Clippers’ rematch with the Houston Rockets, this time in Houston, below:

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Luke Kennard – Paul George – Marcus Morris, Sr. – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Jalen Green – Kevin Porter, Jr. – Eric Gordon – Jabari Smith, Jr. – Alperen Şengün

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, out (knee injury management); Robert Covington, out (H&SP)

Rockets: Bruno Fernando, out (knee soreness); Jae’Sean Tate, out (ankle soreness); Tyty Washington, Jr., out (knee sprain)

The Big Picture

Monday’s win was pretty important: even though it is still early in the season, a 2-5 record would have put the Clippers above only the Lakers and Rockets in the Western Conference. Now, at the very least, they are in the neighborhood of the Warriors and Timberwolves, who have also been inconsistent to start the season. That said, beating the Rockets just once is not enough to undo the Clippers’ recent skid.

As the Clippers try to start a winning streak, they will be re-joined by John Wall, who missed last game due for rest. Wall may in fact have an extra bit of motivation going into this game, given how his time as a Houston Rocket went. Regardless, his presence will be extremely welcome after Reggie Jackson had another tough game on Tuesday, shooting 2/11 from the field and 0/6 from the three, making questionable decisions on offense, and being too permeable on defense.

It will be interesting to see if Ty Lue changes the minutes distribution between the two. So far, Reggie is averaging seven more minutes per game than John, which might be primarily a consequence of John’s minutes restriction. But, as the season goes on, the restriction will eventually give way to the need for more consistent production from the point guard position.

Along with Wall being available, the Clippers should be able to put up a better shooting performance. Somehow, the Clippers were able to put together 95 points despite shooting 42% from the field and 25% from three. And everyone not named Paul George shot 15% from three. At some point, the Clippers’ shooting has to revert to the mean; hopefully, that’s on this road trip, starting on Wednesday in Houston.

The Antagonist

While the Clippers shot poorly on Monday, the Rockets were not any better. They were 38.6% from the field and 28.6% from three, so it is entirely possible that the Rockets are more efficient as well. In fact, Monday was the first time the Rockets scored under 100 points this season, so the Clippers will likely need to score over 100 points themselves, which they have only done three times.

So far this season, there has been tremendous parity throughout the league. As the Clippers have learned, even teams that are allegedly tanking are liable to play with pride and upset “more talented” rosters. This is not the anyone-can-win-on-any-given-night NBA; so far, the expectation should be that you are the underdog every night, whether you are the Nets, Warriors, Heat, or Clippers.

That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ game against the Rockets. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Preview: Pt. 2
Kenneth Armstrong

The LA Clippers took on the Rockets tonight to end the two-game mini series down in Houston with a simple goal: finish the season sweep. And that they did, winning 113-110. Even better, the Clippers extended their winning streak to four, as they go into another consequential game against the Lakers on Thursday.

Summary

The game was basically dead even, all in all, throughout the first half. Neither team had more than a 7 point lead, both shot poorly, and it was generally sloppy play. The Rockets, who had a one point lead at half time, were led by Christian Wood, who had 12 points on 5/8 shooting. The Clippers were, again, led by Ivica Zubac, who picked up right where he left off on Sunday: 12 points (4/6 FG), six rebounds, and a block in the first half. Marcus Morris, Sr. and Terance Mann were both solid, adding nine each.

The Clippers blew this game open in third, putting up 40 in the frame. They were led by Morris, who had nine points in the quarter. But everyone added a little over what was at one point an 18-3 run. Hartenstein, Coffey, Covington went on to close out in the game in the fourth. And they were even joined by Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye, who got a four minutes each after getting DNP-CDs on Sunday.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Notes

• Monster Zubac: In just 24 minutes, Zubac had 22 points (8/12 FG), 12 rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. He did not quite hit Coach Lue’s 20pt-15rb challenge, but he was certainly on pace through three quarter. Hopefully these two games have given Zubac some confidence going into Thursday’s matchup with the Lakers, against whom he had some trouble last week.
• Rewarding Boston: Brandon Boston, Jr. got early minutes tonight—something we have not seen frequently as of late. He ended the game with 11 points (4/8 FG, including a nice step-back three), four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. After the game, Coach Lue praised Boston for doing the right things “behind-the-scenes.” In our preview, I wrote that maybe Batum could take some of the ball-handling load to make life easier on Reggie—but maybe Boston will be able to help out as well.

Up Next: The LA Clippers head home to try and extend their win streak to five against the Los Angeles Lakers this Thursday, March 3rd at 7pm. [Note the earlier start time.]

Clippers vs. Rockets Recap: LA winning streak gets to 4
Kenneth Armstrong

The LA Clippers have not been two games over .500 since they beat the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 22 (they would go on to lose two in a row thereafter). Tonight, the Clippers (now 32-31) have a change to hit that mark once again, as well as sweep the season series against the Rockets. Check out our preview for this second LA-HOU matchup in three days.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
When: 5 PM PT
How to Tune in: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570 KLAC, KTMZ

Projected Starting Lineups

LA Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Nicolas Batum – Marcus Morris, Sr. – Ivica Zubac

Houston Rockets: Dennis Schröder – Jalen Green – Eric Gordon – Jae’Sean Tate – Christian Wood

Injury Report

LA Clippers: OUT: Paul George (Right Elbow), Kawhi Leonard (Right Knee), Norman Powell (Left Foot), Jason Preston (Right Foot), Jay Scrubb (Right Foot)

Houston Rockets: OUT: Usman Garuba (Left Wrist), Daishen Nix (G League), Kevin Porter Jr. (Left Ankle), Trevelin Queen (G League)

The Big Picture

The Clippers should go into this game with some confidence: although the Rockets had a huge shooting night (especially from three), the Clippers were able to hang tough and pull out a clutch win. Really, only Ivica Zubac, Isiah Hartenstein, and (to a limited extend) Reggie Jackson had “good” games. Kennard, Morris, Batum, and Covington had poor shooting nights (Reggie did as well, but he hit a few big shots, so giving him a small pass here).

Nonetheless, the Clippers were able to grit out a win at the free throw line, through team rebounding, and making just enough stops on the defensive end in the fourth quarter.

Assuming one of Kennard, Morris, etc. has an average or better shooting night, the Clippers should be able to handle the Rockets more comfortably and complete the season sweep.

The Antagonist

But beating a team three times in a row is tough, regardless of the talent discrepancy. And beating a team, on the road, after playing them just two days before is even tougher. Just as in the playoffs, teams start to get used to each other and can find ways to exploit matchups or disrupt favored plays.

Moreover, the Rockets, although they hit 17 threes on Sunday, did not shoot well overall (just 38%). Jalen Green was 4/18 from the field; Eric Gordon was 2/9; and Dennis Schröder was 4/15. Given that they only lost by one, any one of those guys having a better night could have preserved their double-digit lead. Finally, the Rockets are a young team with a coach who is early in his head coaching career—pride will push them to compete and try to avoid letting the Clippers sweep them.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Notes

• Schedule Watching: The sports books have the Clippers as a 6.5 point favorite for tomorrow’s match up. Unless the Clippers get Powell, George, and/or Leonard back, the Clippers likely will not be this big of a favorite for the rest of the year. The Rockets are the second-worst team in the league, by record, and are not exactly trying to win longterm. A win tonight will help making the closing stretch more manageable.
• Crazy Idea: As others on the site have noted, the Clippers need to find a way to get Reggie more rest and delegate some of the ball handling when he’s not on the floor. Mann has done a nice job, and Coffey has done well handling the ball too. Moreover, Robert Covington need more minutes too, which cuts into Batum’s minutes. Which brings me to my crazy (?) idea: Should the Clippers try to let Batum do more ball handling? He’s on of the better passers in transition and around the arc, and he’s generally a smart player. I think he could do it. What do y’all think?

That does it for our preview of this third and final game against the Rockets this season. Let’s see if the Clippers can pull off the sweep!

Clippers vs. Rockets Preview: Looking for season sweep
Kenneth Armstrong

Breaking above .500 for the first time since New Year’s Day, the LA Clippers (32-31) came up clutch in a down-to-the-wire, comeback win over the Houston Rockets (15-45). Ivica Zubac put up a one-of-a-kind game for the season, totaling 14 points (5-5 FG, 4-6 FT), a season-high 15 rebounds, three assists and a career-high six blocks. Playing a game-high 38 minutes, Reggie Jackson came up huge once again for LA with a game-high 26 points (9-21 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-9 FT), nine rebounds and six assists. Jae’Sean Tate was perhaps the most effective Rocket on the night with 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3PT), six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Rockets game recap.

Summary

The first quarter was one to forget for the Clippers as the often inaccurate, 3-point-hunting Rockets offense found gold with seven treys on 53.8% shooting. LAC was fairly casual on the other end as well, coughing the ball up four times which led to nine Houston points as the home team’s momentum began to build. Offensively, the start was okay early for LA, who looked to attack any Houston starters not named Jae’Sean Tate. Marcus Morris Sr. started hot early with a pair of threes but was noticeably shying away from contact on the other end as his shot began to dry up. Brandon Boston Jr. and Luke Kennard were the first subs off of the bench but weren’t able to spark much life into the offense. After one, Houston held a 28-19 lead.

After trailing by as much as 13 in the second frame, the Clippers closed on a 16-6 run as the energy began to pick up. There was not much pop to start the second quarter as the LAC threes continued to rim out. While the Rockets continued to nail their looks from deep, however, Isaiah Hartenstein feasted in the paint to keep the game within reach on four straight makes for LA. Some peculiar theatrics took place here as well as it appeared that the on-fire Garrison Mathews suffered a bad non-contact injury but was thankfully able to return, and Terance Mann came close to selling a flagrant foul on Tate. Ultimately, Tyronn Lue and co. went back to their main guns, playing Boston Jr. just eight seconds while Robert Covington stabilized the defense in 10:37 of action. Morris Sr., Kennard and Reggie Jackson combined for just four points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field and 1 of 3 from the line, but the Clippers’ paint attack and Houston’s 25% 3-point shooting in the frame proved to be more impactful. At the break, the Rockets held a 50-46 advantage.

Shooting just 12.5% from three, the Clippers continued to make things ugly as the lead changed hands eight times in the third quarter. With several moving screens, plenty of dunks (both made and missed) and play-on loose-ball traffic jams, the game became very physical with both teams dialing up the intensity. Making the adjustment to slip screens on Houston’s switch-everything scheme, Ivica Zubac broke free for four freebies inside. Zu’s activity extended to just about everywhere, from rebuking several Rockets at the rim to staying on the officials to get the calls right. Meanwhile, with Mann picking up his fourth foul less than five minutes into the frame, and Jackson needing a breather, the Clippers went to a bench unit with Hartenstein and Coffey as the table-setters. While there were some better moments later in the game from them from an assisting standpoint, here, they came in and had back-to-back giveaways that ignited Houston fastbreaks. Additionally, Kennard’s rough night continued as he remained scoreless on three attempts from beyond the arc. Heading to the fourth, the Rockets sat back in the driver’s seat up 80-74.

Setting up yet another finish in which their Top-7 defense could win them the game, the Clippers executed a cold-blooded 13-0 haymaker in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the quarter to take a 4-point lead. The run was delivered courtesy of a Jackson-to-Coffey 3, a Jackson middy off a Zu high screen, a Jackson floater, a Coffey hand-off to Kennard 3 and a Jackson to Zu short-roll, corner hit Coffey 3. From then on, LAC played the Rockets just about even the rest of the way, holding them to 12 points in the final 9:04 (excluding Mathews’ 2.2-second triple).

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Notes

• Zubac, Clippers Win Old School: Heading into tonight, the Clippers were 4-18 when they made fewer threes than their opponent. In the first half, the Clippers shot the ball terribly from deep and turned it over too many times. In the second half, the Clippers still shot the ball terribly from deep and turned it over too many times. Ultimately, however, LAC continued to focus on controlling a lot of the factors Tyronn Lue emphasized pregame: rebounding better, attacking mismatches, not getting stagnant against the switches and getting back in transition. The Clippers allowed zero Houston points off of 10 turnovers in the second half, as well as won the rebounding battle 59-37.
• Guard Minutes Dilemma: Minutes into the opening quarter, it was clear that this was not the game to give Brandon Boston Jr., Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye some burn. However, while Nicolas Batum and Robert Convington probably not playing as much as they should here is something that the guys on TLTJTP will surely discuss, perhaps the main concern to take away from this one is once again the ball-handling situation. Unfortunately, with Paul George and Norman Powell sidelined, it’s clear that this current roster makeup puts a lot of pressure on Reggie Jackson to run the show. Tonight, Jackson played the final 15 minutes of the game. Time and time again, these longer stretches have proven to see Reg make some questionable decisions with the ball as the fatigue sets in. In the preview, we mentioned how Lue believes Mann and Coffey’s developments have outweighed the need to go get another point guard, but games like these show why the issue still remains.
• The Unsung Hero: Robert Covington was by far the best player off of the Clipper bench tonight. I won’t dare say something like he’s a taller Patrick Beverley, but RoCo made so many key rebounds and ball pokes as well as knocked down important threes. Right after the block of the night in which Zubac somehow shut down Wood with LAC up two and 16.1 seconds left, Covington grabbing the ball right after allowed the Clippers to get possession after the challenge instead of having to jump it up.

Up Next: The Clippers will stick around and finish off their season series with the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Tuesday, March 1, at 5 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Rockets Recap: Clips Clutch in Clutch City
Ralston Dacanay

Opening up a promising stretch of games in the coming weeks, the LA Clippers (31-31) visit the torpedoing Houston Rockets (15-44) Sunday afternoon. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Rockets game preview.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
When: 4 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570 KLAC, KTMZ

Projected Starting Lineups

LA Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Nicolas Batum – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac
Houston Rockets: Dennis Schröder – Jalen Green – Eric Gordon – Jae’Sean Tate – Christian Wood

Injury Report

LA Clippers: Paul George – OUT (Right Elbow UCL Tear), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Right Knee; ACL – Injury Recovery), Norman Powell – OUT (Left Foot; Fractured Medial Sesamoid Bone), Jason Preston – OUT (Right Foot – Injury Recovery), Jay Scrubb – OUT (Right Foot – Injury Recovery)
Houston Rockets: Usman Garuba – OUT (Left Wrist Fracture), Daishen Nix – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Kevin Porter Jr. – QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Sprain), Trevelin Queen – OUT (G League – Two-Way)

Update: Kevin Porter Jr. (Ankle) has been ruled out for tonight, per Law Murray.

The Big Picture

After bursting out of the break with yet another dramatic win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Clippers have split their wins and losses right down the middle once again 62 games into the season. Winners of four of their five coming all against Western Conference opponents, LAC now find themselves not only on a good pace to make the play-in as the eighth seed, but also entering what should be an easier part of their schedule. Unfortunately, from a big-picture perspective, however, Friday’s headlines weren’t entirely everything Clipper fans were hoping for as Paul George’s MRI update didn’t say much. Although hearing that he’s “feeling better” and “making progress” is undeniably better than hearing that a setback occurred, it’s looking pretty clear that prepping for 2022-23 should be the goal. As Shap put it on the latest episode of TLTJTP, there’s not much “ramp” left and the postseason plane is about to take off. In the meantime, the beat goes on as just as Terance Mann alluded to recently, this is going to be the group for the foreseeable future — and one that has been pretty darn impressive.

The Antagonist

The task at Toyota Center tonight is something the Clippers haven’t attempted since May 2021, a game in which Rajon Rondo, Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Oturu and Yogi Ferrell each logged minutes for LA. Of course, the Clippers also just saw this year’s Rockets for the first time in DTLA, which wasn’t very competitive at all. At a glance, the Clippers’ defense (No. 7 DEFRTG in the NBA) is leaps and bounds ahead of the Rockets’ league-worst. This set up LAC to rout Houston by a 31-point win margin as well as see them put up 142 points, which both hold records in the two teams’ history.

Houston, currently on an 8-game skid, has tallied just four fewer losses than Phoenix, Golden State and Memphis combined. A lot of that has happened whenever a certain former Clipper has been out of the office. This year, the Rockets are 0-11 without Eric Gordon, who missed the game against LAC earlier in the month due to a sore groin. Getting their third-leading scorer back in for this one could make a difference, especially if Kevin Porter Jr. is able to play as well. The Rockets’ starting point guard is leading the team in assists and steals, and was absent as well in the last meeting.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Notes

• Zu, Reg Stock Down: Tonight should be a nice opportunity for several guys to “bounce back” from stretches of the last game that were less than desirable. Ivica Zubac was outplayed by Dwight Howard early on and sat the final 18 minutes due to foul trouble. Although he did chip in a much-needed 17 points and hit the game-deciding free throws, Reggie Jackson had a trio of momentum-swinging turnovers as well as the odd dribble-out-the-clock play that led to a near-disastrous 8-second violation.
• TMann, RoCo Stock Up: Some of the more exciting trends to track with the Clippers as of late is the play of Terance Mann and Robert Covington, who each delivered big-time Friday night. Mann has seemingly been unleashed since Norman Powell went down five games ago, to which Tyronn Lue agreed his development has outweighed the need to go get another point guard. Covington has wasted little time winning over those both in and out of the Clipper organization. A “great locker room guy” that does all the dirty work according to Mann, it’s no surprise Lue described RoCo’s addition as having “two Nicos.”

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Houston Rockets. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Rockets Preview: Time for Liftoff
Ralston Dacanay

First, we got some news from the Clippers during and after the writing of our preview, so let’s reset the table before we continue with the rest of the recap of the Clippers’ game against the Rockets.

Patrick Beverley, Amir Coffey, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Terance Mann were all ruled out about six hours before the game. Reggie Jackson also became “doubtful” due to a sore left achilles and did not play.

That meant that the Clippers’ starting lineup was: Rajon Rondo, Jay Scrubb, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris, Sr., and Ivica Zubac. As we’ll discuss below, however, this turned into even more of a “canoes” game over time.

Summary

The game was up and down to start, with both team trading threes (including the first make of Zubac’s career). The Clippers would eventually go up by 11 mid-way through the quarter, but only had a three point lead by quarter’s end. Coach Ty Lue played ten guys in the first — most notably Serge Ibaka got five and a half early minutes, and looked pretty good. He had five points and five rebounds in his first shift.

The Rockets carried momentum from the late first quarter through the second, eventually building a six point lead over the Clippers. Zubac never returned after playing the first three minutes and Morris likewise sat the whole second quarter. This meant we saw a lot of Patrick Paterson minutes, as well as shifts from Batum and Cousins. At half, the Rockets were led by Jae’Sean Tate (13), Armoni Brooks (13), and Khyri Thomas (11). However, at the half, the Clippers were done by just four.

In the third quarter, we started to get a sense for how important this game was for Ty Lue. Without speculating too much about his thinking, it was nonetheless clear that he was prioritizing rest over focusing on getting a win. The one exception to the canoe crew was Rajon Rondo, who played 28 minutes, finishing with nine points and 13 assists (the most assists by any Clippers player this season).

Going into the fourth quarter, the Clippers were down 12, which was enough to essentially end the competitive nature of the game. Yes, the Clippers outscored the Rockets by five, but they never really threatened to actually put the Rocket’s lead in doubt. Rondo, Cousins, and Batum got the hook, and Lue closed with the canoe lineup of: Yogi Ferrell, Scrubb, Kennard, Patterson, and Oturu. The Clippers ultimately lost by seven, 122-115.

Notes

Serge Ibaka looked pretty good! In 17 minutes, Serge scored 15 points, shooting 6/8 from the field. He also had seven rebounds and drew some fouls (3/4 from the line). Plus, he looked pretty fluid — or “spry,” as Brian Sieman described him — though he did look a little tired at times.

Seeding implications: With tonight’s loss, the Clippers are now tied with the Nuggets in the standings (47-24) but, because Denver has the tie-breaker, the Clippers are now the fourth seed.

On Sunday, the Clippers play the Thunder, while the Nuggets play the Blazers. Interestingly, both teams tipoff at 6pm PT, so we might see a strange standoff between the two, if either (or both) are interested in finishing in the fourth seed. That is, if the Nuggets actually want the fourth seed, they may elect to rest their players; or, they may want the third seed — requiring a win — but want to do so with as little effort as possible, which would require them to keep an eye on the Clippers-Thunder game.

Who knows — not me, obviously. I went into tonight’s game thinking the Clippers wanted to win, but they clearly put rest as the main priority. Regardless, they can no longer play the Lakers in the first round, and that’s a real win.

That will about do it for this recap of the Clippers’ loss to the Rockets. Give your thoughts on the Canoes below!

Clippers vs. Rockets Recap: Clippers go Canoe, Lose 122-115
Kenneth Armstrong