In the first game of a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Clippers fell 102-95 on the road Tuesday night.
Los Angeles made just eight 3-pointers on the night. It was the opposite story for the Rockets who had a lot of success from beyond the arc, shooting 14-of-28 from 3-point range.
Houston led 27-26 after the first quarter. It was a slow start for Houston forward Kevin Durant who opened 3-of-10 from the field. Durant eventually found his rhythm on offense and finished the night with a game-high 26 points and six rebounds.
A tight first two quarters saw both sides trading punches back-and-forth. Shooting 42% from the field in the first half, the Clippers led 52-51 at halftime. Guard Kris Dunn had a great first half for Los Angeles, providing strong perimeter defense. Dunn had four steals and five assists heading into the break.
Three Rockets players reached double figures with 11 points each at halftime. Houston struggled to protect the basketball in the first half, turning it over 10 times and the Clippers were able to capitalize. Finding success from beyond the arc, the Rockets had nine 3-pointers at the break.
The offensive show from both teams continued out of halftime. Forward Kawhi Leonard found a groove on offense and extended his streak of 20-point games to 32 for Los Angeles.
Leonard finished the night with 24 points and eight rebounds to lead the Clippers. Forward John Collins followed with 17 points. In his Clippers debut after being acquired via a trade, guard Bennedict Mathurin contributed nine points, three rebounds and three steals for Los Angeles.
The Rockets headed into the final quarter up 78-72. A quick Houston 7-0 run to begin the quarter gave the Rockets a 85-72 lead, prompting a timeout from the Clippers. Los Angeles started the quarter 0-for-8 from the field which allowed Houston to extend its lead.
Falling behind by as much as 15, the deficit was too much for Los Angeles to overcome. A late 8-0 run made things interesting at the end but Houston was able to hold on.
Both teams return to action Wednesday at Toyota Center for one more game before the NBA All-Star break. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.