Clippers blow late lead to Rockets, bounce back for OT win
No one could blame the Los Angeles Clippers for never wanting to relive their epic collapse against the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of last spring’s Western Conference Semifinals. Thanks to an inspired overtime performance in Monday’s game against the Rockets at Staples Center, they didn’t have to.
Up 114-102 with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, the Clippers allowed the Rockets to go on a 12-2 run (itself part of a longer 16-4 stretch) that cut the margin to just two points with 18 seconds on the clock. J.J. Redick made all six of his free throws at the other end over a busy final few possessions that also had the Rockets score on a quick-fire Marcus Thornton three-pointer and two freebies for Trevor Ariza.
[Follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
That set up one final chance for the Rockets to tie down 122-119 with 10 ticks left. Thornton came up big yet again:
Chris Paul missed a tough jumper at the buzzer, and the teams headed to the extra period. It was a rough close to regulation for the hosts, who led by as many as 15 early in the fourth.
However, the Clippers didn’t fall apart in the wake of the Rockets’ stunning comeback. They made three three-pointers in the opening 2:45 of OT and scored 18 points overall to finish with a 140-132 win.
The extra five minutes had at least one positive effect for the Clippers, because it allowed J.J. Redick to make his ninth three-pointer of the night, a new personal and franchise best. Redick also scored a career-high 40 points (11-of-19 FG, 9-of-12 3FG, 9-of-9 FT) to lead the team to its 11th win in 12 games (only one of which was played with the injured Blake Griffin). Backcourt mate Chris Paul was nearly as excellent with 28 points (5-of-7 3FG), 12 assists, and six steals. Redick and Paul accounted for more than half of the Clippers’ franchise-record 22 made three-pointers (on 37 attempts).
That explosive offensive performance was nearly outdone by the Houston comeback and Dwight Howard’s best statistical line in years. Howard put up 36 points (his most since March 2013), 25 rebounds (his most since October 2013), and six blocks. It’s the first time that a player has posted that many points and rebounds in the same game since Chris Webber in January 2001. I guess anything is possible when Howard goes 14-of-18 from the free-throw line.
That stunning output may have meant more if the Rockets had brought a similar defensive effort. As has been the case for most of this season, they were late to close out on shooters and made too many mistakes when rotating. The comeback was nice, but the final result was a deserved one. The Rockets were good enough to extend the game — the Clippers made enough shots to win it.
– – – – – – –
Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
