The Los Angeles Clippers had a rough first game without Russell Westbrook a couple of days ago. Kawhi Leonard had an off night in terms of scoring and LA left Milwaukee with a loss. However, the 2x NBA Champion turned things around against the Houston Rockets.
Despite being a home game, the Rockets struggled to cut through LA’s well-rounded team. The Clippers secured the victory 122-116 to become the fourth team in the Western Conference with 40 wins. This LA is possibly going to make a title run as well. But the Rockets’ strong start to the season now has them ranked 12th in the West.
Los Angeles Clippers player stats
The LA Clippers were extremely crafty in utilizing their free throw attempts to maintain a good lead ahead of the Rockets. They shot 84.6% from the foul line on 26 attempts during the game. Their defensive efforts also paid off at the end finishing with 8 blocks and 5 steals during the game.
Player | Minutes | Points | Assists | Rebounds |
Kawhi Leonard | 39 | 28 | 7 | 6 |
Paul George | 39 | 21 | 2 | 7 |
James Harden | 39 | 21 | 7 | 5 |
Ivica Zubac | 15 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Terance Mann | 27 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
Norman Powell | 29 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
Mason Plumlee | 20 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
Amir Coffey | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Nah’Shon Hyland | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Leonard led the pack with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists on 11-18 shooting. This was followed by a combined effort of 41 points from Paul George and James Harden as well. It was Terrance Mann, who scored 15 points as a role player that helped boost the Clippers’ offense.
Houston Rockets player stats
The Rockets tried their absolute best to fire shots from deep to get the lead. In 37 attempts they averaged 43.2% from the three-point zone. But their foul attempts took a major beating as they shot 10-17 from the free-throw line.
Player | Minutes | Points | Assists | Rebounds |
Dillion Brooks | 38 | 11 | 3 | 2 |
Jabari Smith Jr. | 29 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
Alperen Sengun | 42 | 23 | 14 | 19 |
Fred VanVleet | 39 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
Jalen Green | 32 | 15 | 2 | 3 |
Cam Whitmore | 24 | 17 | 1 | 2 |
Amen Thompson | 18 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Aaron Holiday | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Jock Landale | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Alperen Sengun continued being dominant ever since bullying Victor Wembanyama on the floor. He finished with a monstrous 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 14 assists triple-double. Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 19 points followed by a combined 30 points contributed from Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green. Cam Whitmore had 17 points coming off the bench.