Rockets 95, Clippers 91
CLIPPERS 95, ROCKETS 91: Chris Paul scored 12 points in the final 2:42 to rally host Los Angeles past shorthanded Houston.
Paul finished with 23 points, five steals and five assists as the Clippers erased a six-point deficit in the final three minutes to beat the Rockets for the third time in as many meetings.
Blake Griffin added 18 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half and 10 points in the third quarter.
Courtney Lee, playing with a torn tendon in his dislocated left middle finger, scored a season-high 25 points to pace the Rockets, who had just nine players dress for the game.
Backcourt made Goran Dragic had his second straight double-double with 11 points and a career-high 14 assists and Chase Budinger added 19 for Houston, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.
The Rockets took an 87-81 lead on Patrick Patterson's jumper with 2:57 left, but Paul scored 10 consecutive points to put Los Angeles ahead for good at 91-89 with 24.6 seconds to play.
The Clippers slowly chipped away at a 10-point deficit in the third quarter, finally going ahead 69-66 on Mo Williams' 3-pointer with four seconds left.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston was seriously strapped in the backcourt. PG Kyle Lowry is out with a bacterial infection while shooting guard Kevin Martin missed his third straight game with a shoulder strain. In addition, Derek Fisher never reported to the team after he was acquired from the Lakers in a trade. The Rockets signed PG Courtney Fortson to a 10-day contract Saturday. He was with the Clippers in training camp. ... Los Angeles PG Chauncey Billups was back at the Staples Center on Saturday morning. He is recovering from season-ending surgery on his Achilles tendon. G Nick Young, acquired in a trade with Washington, is not expected to suit up for the Clippers until Tuesday.