The Clippers hold their last home game of the 2025 regular season against the two-seed Houston Rockets.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Rockets: Jalen Green – Reed Sheppard – Amen Thompson – Dillon Brooks – Steven Adams

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Rockets: Fred VanVleet Doubtful (Ankle), Alperen Sengun Questionable (Back), Jabari Smith Jr. Questionable (Groin)

Clippers: Amir Coffey Out (Hamstring)

Notes

Do the Rockets Try: This game is of paramount importance for the Clippers, who are trying with all of their might to stay out of the play-in race – and maybe even get homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Conversely, this game is utterly meaningless for the Rockets, who are locked into the 2 seed. Do the Rockets play the three key players listed on their injury report? For crucial players not listed, like Amen Thompson and Jalen Green, do they get a full complement of minutes or just a token 15-20 minute stint? How hard is the entire team even trying? The Rockets under Ime Udoka are not a team that phones in games, but this kind of outing could be an exception, and the Clippers have to hope it is. The Clippers will be playing their hardest anyway, but it would be great if this could be an easy win for minutes load and injury prevention.

Clippers vs Rockets Preview: Last Home Game of 2025 Season
Robert Flom

After a hellish schedule to start the season, the Clippers were finally able to get an extended rest the past few days. But will that be enough against the potent Houston Rockets, who proved a tough matchup for the Clippers last month? We will just have to see.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 6:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Rockets: Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith – Alperen Sengun

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Rockets: Tari Eason Questionable (Concussion)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away From Team), James Harden Questionable (Groin), Mo Bamba Questionable (Knee), Kris Dunn Questionable (Illness)

The Big Picture

The Clippers suffered their worst loss of the season on Wednesday, getting absolutely pummeled by the Timberwolves in a 108-80 rout that was not even as close as the score indicates. However, they have also just received multiple days off between games for the first time since October 30 – and that lack of rest was clearly impacting them in the Wolves game. If you’d told the Clippers they’d be sitting at 14-10 after a tough schedule to start the year, with zero games from Kawhi Leonard and extended absences from multiple other players, they would have absolutely taken it. It’s certainly not a bad spot to be in, not with Leonard continuing to ramp up and Norm Powell getting back into the swing of things. If the Clippers can just stay afloat until Kawhi returns, they will be in a good position to continue on their current trajectory for a postseason berth. And, for this particular team, that’s all you could have asked for nearly 1/3 of the way through the season.

The Antagonist

At 15-8 and boasting a Net Rating of 6.8, the Rockets are sitting comfortably in the second-tier of the Western Conference alongside teams such as the Grizzlies and Mavericks, with the only team clearly ahead of them in the conference being the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets have maintained their strong play on defense, boasting the second-best defense in the NBA behind only the Thunder, while improving their offense to around league-average. Despite the inconsistent play of Jabari Smith Jr and the frankly poor play of Jalen Green, the Rockets have continued to win games behind the excellence of Alperen Sengun, a strong stretch from Fred VanVleet, and the defensive terrors of Tari Eason and Amen Thompson off the bench. The Rockets might not have the experience or scoring talent to be a true contender, but right now there are not many teams in the NBA that are clearly on another level than them.

Notes

A Tough Matchup: The Clippers played the Rockets twice in a row back in mid-November, and lost both games quite handily. The Rockets were simply bigger, faster, and more athletic than the Clippers, who looked overwhelmed by the Rockets’ size, speed, and ferocity. The Clippers are, overall, playing better basketball than they were back at that time, but the Rockets pose similar issues now. Tari Eason potentially missing the game would be a huge deal, as having both he and Amen Thompson to bother Harden and Norm was a big reason the Rockets were able to stifle the Clippers’ offense. Remove him from the situation and maybe one of the Clippers’ main scorers will be able to shake free for a bigger game. The Clippers are home and rested, but the Rockets have had multiple days off too, so this remains a very challenging contest.

New Rotations: After the first dozen games of the season, when the same players basically clocked in every game for Ty Lue and the Clippers, things have been in flux. First Mo Bamba came back. Then Norm Powell went down. Then Kobe Brown went out. Then Norm came back. Then Terance Mann and Kevin Porter Jr. went out. Now, Porter Jr. is back in the mix. I would guess we see the same starting unit we’ve seen the past month take the court, with a bench unit of Porter Jr., Amir Coffey, Jordan Miller, Nic Batum, and Mo Bamba. The bench unit will miss Terance’s defense and size on the perimeter, but with Brown also out there really aren’t any alternatives here. The Clippers’ defense might continue to slip, but hopefully not too far. Jordan Miller will also ideally improve on defense as he becomes more accustomed to NBA speed and coverages – he was a good defender at lower levels and has the tools to be a good defender in the NBA. If he can make strides there, the Clippers should be in a solid spot.

Clippers vs Rockets Preview: Rested at Last
Robert Flom

The Clippers will square off against the Rockets again, just two days after they lost to them in Houston. This time, it’s not just any regular season game, it’s an NBA Cup game!

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith – Alperen Sengun

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away From Team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Rockets: Steven Adams Questionable (Knee)

Notes

In-Season Tournament: This is the first game of the NBA In-Season Tournament for the Clippers. I was not all that impressed with the tournament last year, finding the games no more or less entertaining than an average regular season game and with obnoxious courts to boot. Now that fans, players, and coaches all know more about the tournament’s rules and saw how it played out last year, I hope that things might be a bit more exciting this time around, but that probably won’t start until later in group play. I wouldn’t expect anything to be different about this game aside from the court being different than usual.

New Starting Lineup: For the first time all season, Ty Lue shook up his starting lineup in the last outing against the Rockets on Wednesday, swapping in Kris Dunn for Terance Mann. The move made sense, as Dunn has been awesome to start the season while Mann has struggled, and Dunn in particular is a better ballhandler who can help relieve some of the pressure on James Harden while also alleviating his faults on defense. The move, by and large, worked. Dunn was the Clippers’ best overall player, scoring 11 points and dishing 8 assists with his usual incredible defense to finish an incredible +11 in 31 minutes, while Mann also got untracked with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes off the bench. Ty Lue said this change would for the near-future at least, and I’ll be curious to see how the Clippers continue to adjust to this change.

Bamba Back Soon: Mo Bamba is out for this game, but he should be back very soon, possibly by Sunday. He played in the G-League game yesterday to get some live reps in, and his return to the big club is imminent. It’s not a moment too soon, as Kai Jones has not played the last two games and the Clippers’ ultra-small lineups have predictably struggled with extended use. I am under no illusions about how good Mo is, but the bar to clear Kai Jones and five-guard lineups is on the floor, and hopefully he does pass that minimal test. It will be nice to see him out there, but for one more game we are either going to see small units or Kai running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Jordan Miller Time?: Kevin Porter Jr. Played just six minutes in the game on Wednesday, all in the first quarter. Ty Lue kept the rotations tight in the 2^nd and 3^rd periods, and then started the 4^th with Jordan Miller out there alongside Dunn, Powell, Mann, and Amir Coffey. Talk about small-ball. Anyway, Miller getting that shot while the game was still in reach (a 6-0 Rockets run almost immediately put it out of reach) was interesting. It’s possible it was just a one-off, as Porter Jr was abysmal in his six minutes. But it is possible that the Clippers will at the very least move off Porter Jr when he’s having a bad game, and Miller seems like the next man up. It would be great if he entered the rotation proper, but I don’t think we are quite there yet. Still, it was great to see him get one of his trademark and-ones as well as nail a wing three.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Preview: Let’s Do this Again, In-Season Tournament Style
Robert Flom

The Clippers will take on the Houston Rockets on the road, the first of two straight games against the Rockets.

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith – Alperen Sengun

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away From Team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Rockets: Fred VanVleet Questionable (Hamstring), Jock Landale Doubtful (Shoulder)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are coming off a very tough loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, giving up 130+ points and dropping their defense from 4^th to 10^th in the process. Worse than the defense, however, were the turnovers, an astounding 23 in total that generated easy offense for the Thunder whenever their halfcourt offense looked stagnant. The Clippers simply have to take better care of the basketball. Missed shots are far better than turnovers – at least live ball ones – especially for a team that has a couple of slower players heading back in transition. The Clippers are more athletic and a bit younger than previous years, but they aren’t going to be a lockdown transition defense and need to really focus on avoiding easy giveaways.

The Antagonist

The Rockets have gotten off to an odd start. Predicted by many pundits as a breakout team in the 2025 season after a surprising 41-41 record in 2024, the Rockets are 7-4, and have an excellent net rating on the backs of the 3^rd best defense and 16^th best offense in the NBA. They are, in short, very Clippers-like in being a defense-first team that will do just enough scoring to get by. What makes them such an odd team is that their starters have nearly all underperformed this year – Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Dillon Brooks, and Fred VanVleet are all shooting under 40% from the field, with VanVleet and Smith also shooting under 30% from three. What’s saved the Rockets is their bench, namely the twin terrors of Tari Eason and Amen Thompson, who are long, athletic, and play at 100% effort at all times. If VanVleet can’t go, look for Amen to start and probably guard James Harden.

Notes

Feed Zu: While Alperen Sengun is a very good player, he’s really undersized compared to Ivica Zubac. The Clippers struggled to get Zu the ball against a miniscule Thunder team on Monday and paid the price for it. They can’t continue to fail in the same ways against the Rockets, or just in general going forward – Zu is too good an option on offense for them to be unable to find him consistently. I hope they go to Zu early and often against Sengun and maybe try to get the Rockets’ best offensive player in foul trouble as a bonus.

Gang Rebounding: One thing I’ve been very pleased with this year is the Clippers’ rebounding. They rank third in NBA.com’s defensive rebound %, 10^th in offensive rebound %, and 2^nd in overall rebound %. Doing that while playing only one real big man in their rotation and just one other true frontcourt player in Nic Batum speaks to how good the entire roster has been at rebounding the ball. That will need to be the case again in this one, as the Rockets are the second-best offensive rebounding team in the league and rank as the third-best overall. Their wings and guards, much like the Clippers, are excellent on the glass, and will punish you for not boxing out. Hopefully the Clippers show up ready to box out and compete on the glass all night long.

Clippers vs Rockets Game Preview: First of a Two-Game Set
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers dropped their final regular season game, 116-105 against the visiting Houston Rockets.

Summary

With the Clippers having already locked up the fourth seed in the Western Conference, Sunday’s matinee regular season finale was another opportunity for the young guys to get playing time.

In addition to Kawhi Leonard being out, the Clippers also sat Paul George, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Russell Westbrook, Norman Powell, and Bones Hyland. PJ Tucker didn’t play after halftime and Terance Mann didn’t play after the third quarter.

It was the Xavier Moon and Brandon Boston Jr. show with a little Amir Coffey, Kobe Brown, and Daniel Theis. The bigger story of the game, though, was it being the Clippers last regular season game ever at Crypto.com Arena/Staples Center before the move to Intuit Dome.

During a stoppage in the game, the Clippers played a tribute video thanking the fans and highlighting the past 25 years. They also honored several former players including Lou Williams, Baron Davis, Quentin Richardason, Darius Miles, and Lamar Odom, all of whom were present.

The fans were allowed two free food items and a non-alcoholic beverage as well as a Steve Ballmer bobblehead. Despite the Clippers loss, it was a fun time for all.

But following the game, talk quickly turned to the Clippers upcoming playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. In place of head coach Tyronn Lue, associate head coach Dan Craig fulfilled postgame media responsibilities.

“You have two elite scorers and attackers. So it’ll be a challenge for sure. Our staff has already dove into it the last couple of days knowing that we’re locked in to play them,” Craig said about Dallas after the game. “We’re getting ready for a lot of different coverages, just getting ready for both of those guys being on the floor together. . .when you have both those attackers out there, you’re forced to make some tough decisions and read the game in terms of how they’re playing.”

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Recap: It’s playoff time
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers close out their 2024 regular season with a meaningless home game against the Houston Rockets.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – PJ Tucker – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Amen Thompson – Jalen Green – Jabari Smith Jr – Cam Whitmore – Jock Landale

Injury Report

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard out (knee), James Harden questionable (foot).

Rockets: Fred VanVleet out, Alperen Sengun out, Dillon Brooks out, Tari Eason out, Jae’Sean Tate out, Steven Adams out.

The Big Picture

This is the final game of the 2023-24 regular season and the final Clippers regular season home game ever at Crypto.com Arena.

Aside from nostalgia purposes, this Sunday matinee game against the Houston Rockets is rather meaningless.

The Clippers have secured the fourth seed in the West and will face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

Expect the game to follow a similar script to Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz. The starters will play in the first quarter and then sit for the remainder of the game. Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell will sit after halftime.

It will be another opportunity for the younger guys to get rotation minutes. It will also be an opportunity for the Clippers and their fans to get a look at recently signed Kai Jones.

The Antagonist

The Houston Rockets come to town having been eliminated from postseason contention. They aren’t even playing spoiler since the Clippers already have their playoff spot and seed locked up.

Just like for the Clippers, this game will serve as an opportunity for the younger guys and prospects to get game action. Think of it as a slightly more glorified G League game. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Disclaimer: 213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs. Rockets Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers looked out of sorts for the first 18 minutes, but a strong second half carried them to a big win on the road in Houston.

Game Summary

The Clippers started the game as lackadaisically as they’ve looked the past few weeks. Their defense was slow and confused, their offense was slow and disorganized, and they generally looked like they didn’t want to be there. At one point, in the mid-2^nd quarter, they trailed 50-30, and the game appeared to be slipping away already. Fortunately, they woke up a bit, and a 14-7 run to close the half got things to a manageable 57-44.

The third quarter saw the Clippers’ offense truly wake up. Harden was getting into the lane and creating, and guys were knocking down shots. Still, the Rockets refused to lay over and die, and answered all of the Clippers’ runs. Every time the Clippers pushed to single digits, the Rockets got their lead back over 10. Finally, late in the period, the Clippers were able to keep the lead in single figures, and trailed just 86-80 going into the fourth.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Clippers. They didn’t tie the game up until around halfway through the period at 108-108, but they were playing in sync on both ends, especially offense, and looked composed and confident. They finally took a lead on a PG and then extended it on a Kawhi and-one, going up 114-109 with a couple minutes to go. The Rockets kept fighting, but they just could not stop the Clippers, and a key PG offensive rebounds, free throws, and a silly tech on VanVleet essentially sealed the game.

Notes

Big 3 Steps Up in Second Half: The Clippers as a whole played very well in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters, but it was their best players that spearheaded the charge. Kawhi and Harden were quiet in the 1^st half while Paul George was dreadful, and that script flipped completely. Harden’s pick and roll actions got the Clippers open looks, and while PG and Kawhi made jumpers, they also attacked and drew fouls. The result was the best combined effort by the Clippers stars in weeks, with each of the Big 3 scoring over 20 points on less than 20 shots. Harden chipped in 5 rebounds and 7 assists, Kawhi had 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and PG grabbed 7 boards as well. Critically, the trio also combined for only four total turnovers. Hopefully this is a turning point.

Get Healthy Zu: Ivica Zubac barely played in this one, logging less than 15 minutes of action. Nor was he effective, with a -13 in his time on the court, 3 points on 1-4 shooting, and 5 rebounds against a dominant Sengun. The broadcast mentioned he’s still playing his way into shape and recovering from his illness, and that would explain things. Still, the Clippers desperately need Zu to be healthy and back to his early season form. While Mason Plumlee played well in this one and Daniel Theis has been solid most of the year, neither of them is close to the defending, rebounding, or even scoring presence that Zu is. If Zu is not a real plus on both ends the Clippers do not have much hope of making noise in the postseason, simple as. Get healthy big fella.

Rest Up: The Clippers don’t play again until Saturday against the Bulls, and need to get as much rest as they can, as that game marks the start of yet another three game in four night stretch. The Bulls are not great, but aren’t pushovers, and then the Bucks and Wolves come to town to make things even tougher. Hopefully the Clippers will be fully ready for that mini homestand and can come out of it with a 2-1 record or better.

Clippers vs Rockets Recap: Clips Comeback in Second Half, Win 122-116
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to get back in the winning column in Houston after a brutal loss in Milwaukee on Monday night.

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

When: 4:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, Watch ESPN, Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith Jr. – Alperen Sengun

Injuries

Clippers: Russell Westbrook Out (Hand)

Rockets: Tari Eason Out (Leg), Steven Adams Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers keep seesawing between good wins and horrible losses. The common denominator, Wolves win aside, has been middling defense. Even in games the Clippers win, it’s usually just because of their hot offense, not because they’re playing well-rounded basketball. Over the last 15 games, the Clippers are 9^th in offense. Pretty good. On the other hand, they’re 21^st in defense. There’s no excuse for that with how much defensive talent on the Clippers’ roster, and speaks to their lackadaisical nature as well as some questionable coaching decisions. The Clippers’ offense will be very good. If they can get their defense to around 10^th (or even around 13^th) they will look a lot better on a consistent basis.

The Antagonist

The Rockets were 6-3 to start the season and then 13-9 at the quarter mark of the season, surpassing expectations that they would be just a mediocre team that would be on the fringes of the play-in race at best. Since then, they are 14-25, and are in the exact same spot that people predicted, which is not close to playoff contention but also ahead of the true bottom feeders in the NBA. The Rockets actually remain the 7^th best defense in the NBA, which is excellent for a fairly young team. However, they’re 24^th in the NBA – and dead last of any team outside of that horrible tanking tier. Until their offense gets better, they just won’t be better than an ok team, even if the defense keeps them competitive in most games.

Notes

Watch for Cam and Amen: The Rockets are unusual in that they’re a young, not-great team that brings two of their three most talented young players off the bench in Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson (Sengun is their best player now). Whitmore wants to shoot every time down the floor, but he’s an effective scorer with a combination of shooting touch, size and physicality, and athleticism. Thompson is an insane athlete who can’t shoot but is already a tremendous defender as a rookie who plays with insane energy and is a dangerous cutter and offensive rebounder. Those two young, athletic players are the exact guys the Clippers can struggle with at times, so it will be important to see how the Clippers handle them.

Getting Bones Going: Bones Hyland hasn’t been bad in the 2.5 games he’s played since unexpectedly rejoining the rotation. Even though he’s shot 3-14 from the field in that stretch, most of those misses were in garbage time against the Wizards. He’s taken good care of the basketball and the Clippers have done well in his minutes. That said, he’s the most dangerous as a scorer, and if he’s going to be the backup point guard with Russ out, the Clippers should try to get him going more on offense. He’s a guy who can be a sparkplug off the bench and give life to a currently moribund Clippers team, but he needs to be empowered to do so. Hopefully in one of these games we get a hot Bones performance where he knocks down a few threes and helps really get the team pumped.

213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs Rockets Game Preview: On the Road Again
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers grabbed a much needed 106-100 win at home against the Houston Rockets behind a game-winning shot from James Harden.

Summary

On the heels of a six-game losing streak, the Clippers came into Friday’s night’s in-season tournament game against the Rockets very much in need of a win. Ever since James Harden made his Clipper debut, the offense has looked clunky and disorganized while the defense hasn’t been much better.

Another glaring issue has been the Clippers lack of size in the wake of Mason Plumlee’s injury. Both of those issues were remedied heading into the Rockets game.

Earlier in the day a lineup change was announced with Russell Westbrook moving to the bench in order to have the starters get into more of a comfortable offensive flow with Harden as the primary ball-handler. The Clippers also announced that backup big man Daniel Theis had cleared waivers and would be available immediately.

While Theis was decent in the minutes he played, the main focus of the game was how the starters played minus Westbrook. They came out with a great focus and energy in the first and third quarters and closed out the game well.

What didn’t run so smoothly was the Clippers bench rotations. If this is going to be the starting lineup from here on out, the next focus becomes finding a working combination with the second unit.

“I thought it was pretty good, I thought we got off to a good start,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said following the game. “Now we got to make sure that off the bench we have the right rotations and the right minutes and the right fit. This is our first game trying to do it, but we’ll get a feel for this one, but it’s better to be able to win than lose.”

This ended up being Harden’s best game since joining the Clippers. He was masterful all game long as the point guard and primary ball-handler. He acted as a playmaker finding guys for easy buckets while picking and choosing his own scoring opportunities.

He finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and hit the biggest shot of the game: and and-one three-point dagger with six seconds remaining in the game.

“He’s starting to get his legs underneath him, being able to make passes, make reads, and I think the game is slowing down a little bit for him as well,” Lue said of Harden. “It’s still going to be a process. It was a big win for us, we definitely needed it, but it’s something to build up off of. We still got to get better, we know that and so we got to continue to keep putting the work in.”

Notes

-Russell Westbrook was decent in his first game off the bench in a Clippers jersey. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists. It’s still going to be a work in progress, but there were encouraging signs. He’s going to be key to having bench stability and not allowing leads to evaporate as they did when the bench came in against the Rockets.

-Terance Mann moving to the starting lineup was just as big as Westbrook moving to the bench. He only finished with one point off a free-throw, but it was everything else he did that showed why Clippers fans have been clamoring for him to be among the starters. He’s a connector; he enables the Clippers to do a lot of different things on the court. If the starting lineup ever changes again this season, Mann should not be the one moving back to the bench.

Clippers snap losing skid with win over Rockets
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers return home after a one game road trip searching for a win against the Houston Rockets.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Rockets: Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith Jr. – Alperen Sengun

Injury Report

Clippers: Mason Plumlee out (MCL), Brandon Boston Jr. out (quad), Kobe Brown (G League assignment)

Rockets: Amen Thompson out, Victor Oladipo out

The Big Picture

The Clippers return home after a one game road trip to Denver in search of their first win since incorporating James Harden into the lineup. They’re on a six-game losing streak and hold a 3-7 record through the first ten games of the season.

While it may seem like the sky is falling in Clipperland, their last game against the Nuggets, albeit a loss, looked like they may have figured some things out. That game was the best they’ve looked since Harden made his debut almost two weeks ago against the New York Knicks.

And there could be reinforcements on the way. Ever since Mason Plumlee has been sidelined, the Clippers rebounding and size issues up front have been magnified when the bench comes in. The Harden trade left them without any experienced depth in the frontcourt and Plumlee’s absence exacerbates that. P.J Tucker has been an overall negative. But Daniel Theis is expected to clear waivers and immediately sign with the Clippers. It’s not clear if he’ll be ready to play against the Rockets but he will help up front.

The Antagonist

The Houston Rockets come to town a revamped and improved team from the past couple of seasons. They had been a very young and inexperienced team with very little direction.

During the offseason, the front office made it a point to bring in experienced veterans to supplant their young core and so far it seems to be working. The Rockets are 6-3, having won six consecutive games since starting the season 0-3.

Just like Ime Udoka’s time in Boston, the Rockets are a top five defensive team in the NBA. They’re third in opponents points per game and fourth in defensive rating.

As recently as last season, when the Rockets were on the schedule, you could almost certainly chalk it up as a for sure win. That’s not the case this season. This team can hurt you in different ways, starting with versatile big man Alperen Sengun.

With the Clippers recent struggles to form any semblance of a competent offense, the Rockets defense is going to be a real test.

Editor’s Note

Starting Lineup Change: It was announced this morning by Chris Haynes that Russell Westbrook told the team he wanted to come off the bench to help integrate James Harden. Haynes has reported that Terance Mann will start in Russ’s place, leaving a presumed bench unit of Russ-Norman Powell-PJ Tucker-Daniel Theis (whenever he’s ready to join the team). I like that Russ initiated this, and I like the move. Terance brings some of the same weaknesses as Russ (doesn’t take enough threes to be a true floor spacer, most notably), but is far more comfortable off ball, is bigger, and a better defender. We will see how these reconfigured units look, but I’m hopeful.

Clippers Vs. Rockets Game Preview
David Yapkowitz