Once again, the possibility of a comeback was hinted at when the Rockets eventually overcame a large deficit to take the lead. Yet, no matter how good the odds, the gap between that and pulling off a victory remained too wide to bridge.
With enough effort, the Rockets might be able to make up an 18-point deficit. However, they couldn’t play with the discipline necessary to beat the Clippers. Five turnovers by the Rockets in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter helped the Clippers to a 12-point cushion they could never overcome after scoring the quarter’s final six points to take a seven-point lead.
An unpredictable game with many twists
The Rockets’ five-game losing streak continued on Wednesday when the Clippers won 109-101. They now face another four games on the road. An insider’s look at the Rockets shows that Houston is still figuring out how to close out games.
The Rockets’ season-high scoring leader, center Alperen Sengun, fouled out with a minute left in the game, with the Clippers leading by six points and a season-high lead of 13 rebounds. Jalen Green, who came into the game averaging 14 points on 25.7 percent shooting and 22.6 percent from deep on the road trip, scored 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points and led the Rockets in assists, but he also had six turnovers. The Clippers were led in scoring by Paul George’s 28 points. The Clippers’ offense is 29th in the NBA, shooting 48.8 percent overall and 36.4 percent from deep. Of their 38 attempts, the Rockets only made 11. The Rockets only made four of twenty-four three-point attempts, with only Daiseyn Nix’s four makes on six attempts standing out.