ROCKETS DEFEAT CLIPPERS
Jabari Smith Jr. has season-high 28 points as Rockets pound Clippers
Nov 16, 2024, 6:03 pm
Rockets defeat the Clippers, 125-104. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Jabari Smith Jr. had a season-high 28 points with five 3-pointers and the Houston Rockets never trailed in a 125-104 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night in their NBA Cup opener.
It was Houston’s season-high fourth straight victory and the team’s second straight over the Clippers after getting a 111-103 win Wednesday night.
The Rockets led comfortably throughout and used a big run in the third quarter to enter the fourth leading by 19.
Fred VanVleet added 18 points and 10 assists for Houston and Dillon Brooks scored 17.
James Harden had 21 points for the Clippers, who lost their third straight after winning their previous four. He made three 3-pointers to move into a tie with Ray Allen (2,973) for second-most career 3-pointers behind Stephen Curry, who entered Friday with 3,779.
Takeaways
Clippers: Los Angeles was flat in its two games in Houston after its season-long winning streak. They’ll need to regroup and find a way to get more production from their starting lineup while they await the return of Kawhi Leonard. He hasn’t played this season while rehabilitating his right knee.
Rockets: Tari Eason and Amen Thompson again gave Houston a boost off the bench. The two combined for 29 points after scoring 18 each in Wednesday’s win.
Key moment
The Clippers used a 6-2 run to get within 12 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter before Houston scored the next nine points to extend the lead to 79-58. Brooks started that run with a 3 before VanVleet found Jalen Green for an alley-oop dunk.
Key stat
The Rockets had 20 fast-break points to just eight by the Clippers.
Up next
The Rockets visit Chicago on Sunday night and the Clippers host Utah that night.
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Cade Cunningham had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 107-96 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Cunningham was 12 of 22 from the field. He scored 19 points in the third quarter as the Pistons built a 90-80 lead after three.
Jalen Duren had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Malik Beasley added 17 points off the bench, and Ausar Thompson had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who shot 48% and were 10 of 27 on 3-pointers.
Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, and Jalen Green scored 19 points. Amen Thompson, who missed the game at Portland on Saturday with left calf soreness, added 17 points for Houston, which shot 39% and struggled from 3, connecting on 11 of 39.
Takeaways
Detroit: The Pistons committed 23 turnovers but were able to overcome it by forcing the Rockets into 17 turnovers and converting it into 19 points.
Houston: The Rockets got balanced scoring with five players in double figures, including Alperen Sengun, who had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Cam Whitmore, who had 10 points off the bench, but they couldn’t overcome poor shooting.
Key moment
After Houston cut Detroit’s lead to 90-85 three minutes into the fourth quarter, Marcus Sasser hit a jumper and three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run as Detroit pulled away.
Key stat
Detroit had a 52-39 advantage in rebounding and a 50-40 edge in points in the paint.
Up next
Houston hosts Cleveland on Wednesday, and Detroit plays at Atlanta the same day.