Rockets Cruise Past Clippers without Harden

Jan 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Omer Asik (3) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) in the first quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Playing without James Harden, the Houston Rockets put together a total team effort and dismantled the Los Angeles Clippers 98-81.  Harden missed only his third game this season due to a right ankle sprain, but there was plenty of contribution throughout the rest of the team.

Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, and Francisco Garcia all scored 15 points apiece, while Omir Asik recorded his 30^th double-double of the season, adding 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Garcia had his best game since being traded to Houston from Sacramento in February, hitting 3 of 7 shots from beyond the arc as a spark off the bench to help Houston snap a two-game losing streak.

“When your best player is out, everybody has got to step up,” Garcia said. “That’s what we did tonight. We stayed together and got the win.”

“We had a lot of guys play well,” Kevin McHale said. “The ball was really moving tonight, and it was good to see that. Everybody was in tune.”

Lin and Parsons combined to score as many points, 13 in the third quarter as the whole Clippers team did.  The Rockets outscored the Clippers 30-13 in the quarter and went into the fourth with a 22 point lead.

The Clippers was playing their 4^th game in 5 nights, and looked very sluggish throughout the game.   Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro benched all his starters with the exception of Chris Paul mid-way through the third quarter for the rest of the game.  Paul led the Los Angeles with 19 points and 11 assists.

The Rockets outscored the Clippers 48-26 in the paint, and the Houston bench outscored Los Angeles’ reserves 39-31. Carlos Delfino scored 11 points and Patrick Beverley added 9 points for the Rockets’ bench.

 James Anderson started in place of Harden and scored 7 points, while adding 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists.  Greg Smith got his first start of the season, in place of Donatas Motiejunas, and added 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Houston hosts the Orlando Magic Monday night.

Box Score:

Los Angeles Clippers

STARTERS

MIN

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

+/-

PTS

28

5-11

0-0

2-2

1

2

3

2

0

1

2

2

-12

12

17

2-10

1-3

0-0

1

0

1

1

0

0

2

1

-10

5

21

4-5

0-0

0-0

3

2

5

1

0

1

3

3

-15

8

32

7-15

2-3

3-3

0

5

5

7

3

0

1

5

-12

19

20

2-6

2-2

0-0

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

2

-9

6

BENCH

MIN

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

+/-

PTS

6

0-1

0-1

0-0

0

3

3

0

0

1

0

0

-4

0

20

1-5

1-5

1-2

0

3

3

1

2

1

1

5

-12

4

14

1-3

0-0

0-1

0

2

2

0

1

0

2

1

-1

2

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

+2

0

23

2-3

0-0

2-2

2

6

8

0

0

3

2

5

-2

6

25

1-4

0-1

0-0

0

5

5

2

3

0

2

0

-3

2

3

0-1

0-1

2-2

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

+1

2

28

6-14

1-6

2-2

0

3

3

0

1

0

0

1

-8

15

TOTALS

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

PTS

Fast break points:   12
Points in the paint:   26
Total Team Turnovers (Points off turnovers):   19 (19)

+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.

Houston Rockets

STARTERS

MIN

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

+/-

PTS

30

3-7

0-0

3-4

2

6

8

0

0

0

0

1

+13

9

34

6-15

2-5

1-2

2

7

9

4

1

1

2

3

+20

15

34

6-9

0-0

1-4

2

10

12

2

1

2

2

1

+13

13

31

4-10

1-2

6-8

0

0

0

3

0

1

6

4

+12

15

26

2-8

0-1

3-4

1

4

5

2

2

0

4

1

+8

7

BENCH

MIN

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

+/-

PTS

9

2-4

0-0

0-0

3

1

4

0

0

0

0

1

-1

4

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

-2

0

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

1

1

0

0

0

2

0

-1

0

17

3-7

1-3

2-2

2

2

4

3

0

0

1

4

+5

9

3

0-2

0-1

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

-2

0

23

4-8

2-5

1-1

0

2

2

2

2

0

2

1

+9

11

27

5-10

3-7

2-2

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

+11

15

DNP SORE RIGHT FOOT

TOTALS

FGM-A

3PM-A

FTM-A

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

STL

BLK

TO

PF

PTS

Fast break points:   16
Points in the paint:   48
Total Team Turnovers (Points off turnovers):   22 (18)

+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.