CLIPPERS DEFEAT ROCKETS
Rockets reserve unit can't keep up with Harden and company
Apr 10, 2025, 7:04 pm
The Clippers beat the Rockets, 134-117. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
James Harden had 35 points and 10 assists and the streaking Los Angeles Clippers beat the playoff-bound Houston Rockets 134-117 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight win.
The Rockets had already locked up the No. 2 seed in the West and will be making their first playoff appearance since the 2020 bubble in Florida. They rested most of their starting lineup, including Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.
Ivica Zubac had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Clippers, his first career triple-double and the third by a center for the team. Kawhi Leonard returned with 22 points and 10 rebounds after sitting out Tuesday to rest his surgically repaired right knee. Nicolas Batum added 15 points, including the Clippers' first 12 of the second quarter, before leaving with a sore right groin.
Reed Sheppard led six Rockets in double figures with 20 points.
Takeaways
Rockets: Jalen Green is on track to start all 82 games, which would make him the ninth Rockets player to do so in multiple seasons and first since Luis Scola in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Clippers: Finished the regular season with a 30-11 mark in the new Intuit Dome.
Key stat
The Clippers made all 19 of their free throws, with Harden going 10 for 10.
Key moment
The Clippers outscored the Rockets 35-23 in the second when Zubac keyed a 12-0 run with six points and Leonard added four.
Up next
Both teams play Friday night. The Rockets stay in Los Angeles to face the Lakers and the Clippers visit Sacramento.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Critical levers Astros can pull as health concerns, deadline pressures grow
Jul 10, 2025, 3:46 pm
Jake Meyers is the latest Astro to be rushed back from injury too soon. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston center fielder Jake Meyers was removed from Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland during pregame warmups because of right calf tightness.
Meyers, who had missed the last two games with a right calf injury, jogged onto the field before the game but soon summoned the training staff, who joined him on the field to tend to him. He remained on the field on one knee as manager Joe Espada joined the group. After a couple minutes, Meyers got up and was helped off the field and to the tunnel in right field by a trainer.
Mauricio Dubón moved from shortstop to center field and Zack Short entered the game to replace Dubón at shortstop.
Meyers is batting .308 with three homers and 21 RBIs this season.
After the game, Meyers met with the media and spoke about the injury. Meyers declined to answer when asked if the latest injury feels worse than the one he sustained Sunday. Wow, that is not a good sign.
Asked if this calf injury feels worse than the one he sustained on Sunday, Jake Meyers looked toward a team spokesman and asked "do I have to answer that?" He did not and then politely ended the interview.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 10, 2025
Lack of imaging strikes again!
The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported on Thursday that the Astros didn't do any imaging on Meyers after the initial injury. You can't make this stuff up. This is exactly the kind of thing that has the Astros return-to-play policy under constant scrutiny.
The All-Star break is right around the corner, why take the risk in playing Meyers after missing just two games with calf discomfort? The guy literally fell to the ground running out to his position before the game started. The people that make these risk vs. reward assessments clearly are making some serious mistakes.
The question remains: will the Astros finally do something about it?