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.
Jose Altuve and rookie Jacob Melton drove in three runs each as the Houston Astros jumped on Chris Paddack early and cruised to a 10-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
Paddack (2-6) tied career highs by allowing 12 hits and nine runs — eight earned — in just four innings for his third straight loss.
Houston rookie starter Colton Gordon (2-1) gave up six hits and two runs with five strikeouts in a career-high six innings.
Jeremy Peña tied a season-high with four hits and rookie Cam Smith had two hits and two RBIs as the AL West-leading Astros won their third straight.
Willi Castro, Royce Lewis and Ty France all hit solo homers for the Twins, who were blown out for the third time in four games after losing to Texas 16-4 Tuesday and 16-3 Thursday.
Lewis, who missed the start of the season with a hamstring strain, pulled up as he was running to first base on a single in the ninth inning and was replaced by a pinch-runner. There was no immediate word on his injury.
The Astros got to work early in this one. The bases were loaded with two outs in the first when Smith hit a two-run single to center field to make it 2-0. Melton followed with a single to right field to drive in another run.
There were runners on first and third with one out in the second when Altuve’s double scored two to make it 5-0.
The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the third but Carlos Correa grounded out to end the threat.
Melton hit a two-run triple with no outs in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 7-0. A sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubón made it 8-0.
The Twins got on the board with Castro’s two-out homer in the fourth inning.
Altuve homered to left-center to start the bottom of the inning and make it 9-1.
Key moment
Smith’s two-RBI single in the first that gave Houston the lead for good.
Key stat
The Astros had four doubles to give them 15 in their last three games.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.82 ERA) opposes Twins RHP Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.96) on Saturday.