Rockets Falter Late in 99-98 Loss to Clippers
Failure to Close. Nine and Counting. Ready for a Rematch.
For the second straight game, the Rockets held a sizable lead in the first quarter. Houston led the Clippers 28-19 after period one, but Los Angeles slowly crept back into the game, and snuck past the Rockets late, dealing Houston a 99-98 loss. The defeat is the 9th consecutive loss for a Rockets team that’s searching for answers. Jalen Green had an off-shooting night for the first time in a while, scoring only 10 points on 4-for-18 shooting. Garrison Mathews led a balanced Houston attack with 17 points. The Rockets had seven players score in double-figures, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the exploits of Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac, who sealed the game for L.A. Jackson led the Clips with 26 points. Zubac contributed 14 points and 15 boards, along with a key block late in the game to deter Houston’s hopes.
These two squads will square off again in Toyota Center on Tuesday night. Hopefully the Rockets can close the contest with more discipline than they displayed in their latest loss. Kevin Porter Jr.’s return isn’t certain as of yet, so Scoot should still be deemed questionable for the rematch.
Only 22 games remain in the season for Houston. Any chance of sneaking into the playoffs has passed this Rockets team. They are playing for pride and looking to build chemistry for next season. Hopefully they can seal the deal, and focus for four quarters in the rematch. Houston scored only 18 points in the fourth quarter on Sunday, they’ll have to better if they want to take part 2 in this mini-series on Tuesday.