Clippers 122, Rockets 106
HOUSTON -- J.J. Redick delivered a scorching start before Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan combined to take the offense to another level in the Los Angeles Clippers' 122-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
The Clippers (43-24) led throughout to bounce back from a blowout loss to the Spurs in San Antonio on Tuesday night and even their record on a critical five-game road swing at 1-1.
Los Angeles shot 60.9 percent in the first quarter and 68.4 percent in the second en route to a season-high 72-point half and 22-point advantage at the intermission.
On the night, the Clippers hit 56.6 percent of their field-goal attempts. The Rockets hit 48.8 percent.
Redick scored 14 of his 25 points by the midpoint of the first quarter, doing so by making his first five shot attempts. When the Rockets cut an early double-digit deficit to seven points, Paul and Jordan followed with a series of devastating alley-oops that rebuilt the lead with haste.
Jordan finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Paul added 15 points and 16 assists. When the Rockets (34-34) sliced what had been a 24-point deficit to 11 late in the fourth quarter, Redick responded with a 3-pointer -- his fifth of the night -- for a 114-100 lead with 3:40 to play.
Three Clippers reserves scored in double figures: Jamal Crawford (14 points), Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson (12 apiece). Crawford added seven assists. Los Angeles squared the completed season series at 2-2.
James Harden paced the Rockets with 33 points and eight assists. Trevor Ariza added 16 points and six rebounds, and Michael Beasley chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
The Clippers' exceptional 3-point shooting kept the Rockets at bay in the first half. After Beasley cut the deficit to 42-30 with a layup, the Clippers responded with four treys over the next four minutes to stretch their lead to 23 points.
And even when Los Angeles failed to score baskets, Houston failed to make headway. The Clippers managed just two field goals during one 10-plus minute stretch bridging the second and third periods, but the Rockets proved unable to put a dent in the deficit. Houston trailed 72-48 when Paul hit a pull-up jumper in the final seconds of the first half, and by the time Luc Mbah a Moute scored with 3:00 left in the third, the Rockets trailed 88-67. That was just the Clippers' second basket in the period.
NOTES: Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated that F Josh Smith could work his way back into the rotation and blamed his recent benching on Smith being out of shape. Smith, who joined Houston via trade with the Clippers on Jan. 22, shot .246/.152/.200 while averaging 3.8 points over his last 10 games before being benched five games ago. ... The Clippers signed F Jeff Ayers for the remainder of the season. Ayers had appeared in five games averaging 1.2 points and 0.6 rebounds in 2.8 minutes. He originally signed with the Clippers on Jan. 23, the first of two 10-day contracts. ... The Clippers recalled G C.J. Wilcox from the Canton Charge of the D League. Wilcox has appeared in 13 games for the Clippers averaging 1.5 points in 4.6 minutes.