Not clearing Rockets for liftoff
Leonard, Mann combine to score 61 points and the Clippers stifle Houston in the fourth to pull away.
The injury list grew yet again for the Clippers, leaving it up to Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the healthy group to push forward through this turbulent season.
In essence, it was placed on the shoulders of Leonard to carry the undermanned Clippers against the talented and also short-handed Houston Rockets.
Leonard did his part, as did Terance Mann and a stingy fourthquarter defense, to help the Clippers pull away for a 121-100 win over the Rockets on Sunday afternoon at Crypo.com Arena.
“We did a better job of just bringing a physicality to the game and that’s how we gotta start the game,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who then addressed playing short-handed. “It’s unfortunate tonight, but it was a good win for us, despite who’s playing on their team, our team. But we needed that win.”
Leonard finished with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes.
Mann, in his fourth consecutive start at point guard, had 31 points, his career high for a regular-season game. He also had six rebounds and four assists and drilled a threepointer from half-court to beat the halftime buzzer.
“Just getting downhill, that’s my game,” Mann said. “Shooting open threes, that’s my game. And creating for others and that keeps the pressure on the defensive end and, yeah man, that’s really what I bring to the table, and that’s just how I want to try and win.”
The Clippers were outstanding on defense in the fourth quarter, showing why they had entered the game ranked third in the NBA in points allowed (110.1). They held the Rockets to 10 points, on 25% shooting, in the final 12 minutes.
“With the players out, we still have things we can build on,” Leonard said. “Missed assignments, or just turning over the ball. Even if they come back, we’re still going to have to improve on those things.
So, just got to keep grinding it out, like I said.”
It was a game in which the Clippers were missing not only Paul George (hamstring) for the fifth consecutive game, Luke Kennard (calf) for the fourth in a row and Moussa Diabate (non-COVID illness), but also Marcus Morris Sr. (left knee contusion), who is listed as day to day, and John Wall (abdominal strain), who will be evaluated in two weeks for his injury.
Lue expects his team to stay the course through all of this.
“Our principles can stay the same, no matter who’s on the floor,” Lue said before the game.
The Rockets didn’t have Jalen Green, their leading scorer (21.5 points), and Jae’Sean Tate, who both were serving one-game suspensions for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation in a game at Sacramento.
The Rockets also didn’t have Kevin Porter, their second-leading scorer (19.2), because of a left foot injury.