Can Clippers beat Rockets again with Chris Paul likely out?
The Los Angeles Clippers stunned the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their second-round series in Houston on Monday, 117-101. Typically, the Clippers beating the Rockets wouldn’t be that big of an upset, but with star point guard Chris Paul sidelined, it was a pretty big deal.
With Paul battling a hamstring issue, the Rockets had a prime opportunity to strike first in this series. And at first, it seemed like Houston was going to be successful. The Rockets ran out to a 13-point lead in the first half, and it looked like that was that.
Thomas B. Shea/USA TODAY Sports
Only the Clippers didn’t give in, and Houston’s sloppy play soon caught up to them. Los Angeles got itself back into the game thanks to some of the Rockets’ careless play, and then the Clippers kicked into high gear in the second half. Los Angeles scored 71 points in the second half and outscored Houston by 20 to run away with the victory. The Rockets looked shell-shocked at the end of the game, basically quitting in the final few minutes.
Blake Griffin had another huge effort, stepping up in Paul’s absence by notching a second straight triple-double and third total in the postseason. Griffin put up 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the game.
Griffin certainly wasn’t alone, as he got plenty of help from his teammates. All five Clippers starters scored in double figures, including the much-maligned Matt Barnes and Austin Rivers, who replaced Paul in the starting lineup. Barnes put in 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Rivers had 17 points and knocked down four three-pointers. DeAndre Jordan had a double-double and J.J. Redick scored all 17 of his points in the second half as Los Angeles shot 11-of-16 from long range in the half. Jamal Crawford added 21 points off the bench.
James Harden notched a double-double with 20 points and 12 assists, but he only took 13 shots and six free throws. Harden also turned the ball over nine times, which was part of a 24-turnover night for Houston. Those 24 turnovers turned into 34 Clippers points.
If there’s any good news for the Rockets, it’s that it looks like Paul will once again sit out:
Doc doesn't know about Game 3 yet but it doesn't look like Chris will play tonight.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 6, 2015
By stealing Game 1, Paul and the Clippers can be more careful with the injury and let him heal up. It’ll be tough to beat the Rockets a second consecutive time on the road without him, but we certainly can’t count it out. The way Los Angeles answered the bell in Game 1 after the grueling series against the San Antonio Spurs was quite impressive.
Of course, because Paul likely won’t play, the Rockets are the favorite in Vegas. The line opened with Houston as a 6½-point favorite, but now it’s at 7½ points at most sportsbooks, likely because of the news that Paul will probably sit. This is basically a must-win game for the Rockets, so expect a sharper effort from them.
