NBA: After stunning Lakers, Clippers set sights on Rockets

After posting their most impressive win of the season, the Los Angeles Clippers aim to build momentum when they host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in Inglewood, California.

Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points and James Harden added 21 as the Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 103-88 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

The win marked just the Clippers’ seventh in 28 games this season. Los Angeles led by as many as 22 points and earned its first victory since Dec. 3.

The Clippers now face a Houston team that has lost four of its last six games, including a 125-124 overtime defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Despite the uphill climb toward playoff contention, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he was encouraged by his team’s effort against the Lakers.

“We’ve got to start at one,” Lue said. “We told our guys that. I thought we came out with the right intent. Being up 15 at halftime, we probably should have been up 20 to 25. In the second half, we didn’t quite run through the tape, and we have to get better at that. But it was a huge win for us.”

Harden recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 10 assists and said the victory helped lift the team after a difficult stretch at home.

“The last five or six games, I think we’ve been playing well but just haven’t put it together for a full four quarters,” Harden said. “Saturday was about getting the monkey off our back. Now we have to watch film and find ways to improve.”

Los Angeles will be without center Ivica Zubac for at least three weeks after he suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain in the win. His absence is expected to increase the role of forward John Collins, who posted 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Lakers.

Zubac scored a game-high 33 points in the Clippers’ 115-113 road loss to the Rockets on Dec. 11.

Houston dropped to 1-3 on its six-game road trip with the loss to Sacramento. Alperen Sengun finished with 28 points, while Kevin Durant recorded 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets led 100-86 early in the fourth quarter before surrendering the lead.

“When we get up 14, we’ve got to put our foot on the gas,” Durant said. “We can’t slow the game down and stop executing on both ends. We have to dominate in those situations.”

Rockets forward Tari Eason returned to action for the first time since Nov. 14 after recovering from an oblique injury, scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 16 minutes.

Houston fell to 1-4 in overtime games this season and failed to build on its 115-101 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

“We were much more motivated in the game before,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Letting Sacramento hang around was on us. I have to do a better job getting the team motivated, especially against lesser opponents.”

— Field Level Media/Reuters