HOUSTON — Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, and Paul George and James Harden each scored 21 as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 122-116 win over the Houston Rockets.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 20 points and didn´t lead in the second half until there were less than three minutes remaining.
“In the first half it was like we were running in mud,” Clippers’ coach Tyronn Lue said according to AP. “We couldn´t keep up with them. They got out in transition and we just couldn´t get back and get matched. So at halftime we made a strong point about that.”
Los Angeles overcame another big night from Houston big man Alperen Sengun, who had 23 points, a season-high 19 rebounds and 14 assists for his fourth career triple-double. It came a night after he scored a career-best 45 points in a win over San Antonio.
Jabari Smith Jr.´s 3-pointer got the Rockets within 2 with less than two minutes to go. Norman Powell made one of two free throws for the Clippers before Sengun missed two free throws with just over a minute remaining to leave Houston down 115-112.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, Jake LaRavia had 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies used an 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter to rally to a 115-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Grizzlies trailed by 12 entering the fourth before getting hot in the final minutes, much like they did in a win at Brooklyn. One of the worst teams in the NBA, Memphis has won two in a row following a five-game losing streak.
“If we don’t get the job done, a lot of times it’s that fourth quarter execution on both sides of the floor,” coach Taylor Jenkins said according to AP.
“Make the winning plays. That’s the thing I keep stressing. Luckily, they did the last two games and we get to carry hopefully some momentum back home and play a little better back at home.”
The Grizzlies outscored the 76ers 34-16 in the fourth.
Vince Williams Jr., who had 17 points and nine assists, put the Grizzlies ahead 105-104 with a pair of free throws and they never trailed again. Memphis won its 15th game on the road against only seven at home.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 25 points and Paul Reed had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Tobias Harris, in the final months of a five-year, $180 million, has continued to shrink as more was expected of him in Maxey and Embiid’s absence. Harris scored just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
“We couldn’t get a bucket to fall for us,” Harris said. “That was the name of the game in the fourth.”
