NBA: Surging Clippers send Rockets to 10th straight loss

Ivica Zubac recorded his 18th double-double on the season while Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson combined for 35 points as the Los Angeles Clippers completed a three-game season series sweep of the Houston Rockets with a 113-100 road victory Tuesday.

Zubac paired 22 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Clippers to their sixth win in seven games -- with the past two of them coming against Houston.

Jackson had 17 points, six assists and five rebounds while Morris chipped in 18 points while shooting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The Clippers moved two games over .500 for the first time since Dec. 22.

The Rockets absorbed their 10th consecutive loss. Jalen Green scored 20 points, Christian Wood tallied 17 points and eight rebounds and Jae'Sean Tate posted 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Clippers seized control with a 40-point third quarter, a period during which they shot 58.3 percent while converting seven of their nine 3-point attempts. The deciding run, a 16-4 burst midway through the period, featured three Jackson 3-pointers plus two dunks from Zubac, who also added an assist.

The Clippers secured their first double-digit lead at 73-63 with the blitz and pulled away behind Zubac, who produced the defining moment of the period. He contested a shot by Alperen Sengun (13 points, nine rebounds) on the defensive end before beating Sengun down the court and finishing a dunk through a Sengun foul.

Zubac, who had 10 points and seven boards in the third, completed the three-point play as the Clippers extended their lead to 83-70 at the 2:01 mark.

Morris and Jackson scored nine points each in the third quarter to support Zubac. When the Rockets went the opening 3:05 of the fourth without scoring, their deficit swelled to 96-75.

Houston enjoyed promising moments prior to the collapse. Wood posted 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks in a forceful opening quarter, enabling the Rockets to rally from a six-point deficit to take a short-lived lead. Houston found an extended rhythm in the second, erasing a 34-29 deficit with an 18-6 run keyed by 3-pointers from Sengun, Tate, Dennis Schroder and Garrison Mathews.

However, Schroder was slowed by an ankle injury after the Rockets claimed a 47-40 lead, and while he remained in the game, the Clippers closed the half with a 9-3 burst and grabbed the momentum.

-reuters-

NBA: Williams scores 40 off bench as Clips snip Thunder

Lou Williams scored 40 points off the bench and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 118-110 on Friday night to move into sole possession of seventh place in the Western Conference.

Danilo Gallinari scored a season-high 34 points and Ivica Zubac added 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won 7 of 9.

Russell Westbrook had 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists before fouling out with 54 seconds left and the Thunder trailing by 3 points. Paul George scored 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting before fouling out with 3:49 left and the Thunder down a point.

Dennis Schroder also scored 15 on just 5-for-20 shooting for Oklahoma City, which fell into sole possession of fourth in the West with its sixth loss in the past 8 games.

Westbrook gave the Thunder their last lead at 104-103 when he converted a 3-point play with 2:30 remaining, but Williams scored 9 points the rest of the way.

Westbrook picked up his fifth foul with 7:37 to go in the third quarter and left the game with the Thunder trailing by 5 points. The Clippers extended their lead to 14 with Westbrook out of the game, but the Thunder managed to get back within four by the end of the third.

George sank a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 99-98 lead with 4:20 left, the Thunder's first lead since 7-6.

Gallinari scored the first 9 points for Clippers, who took their first double-digit lead at 28-18 with 5:38 left in the first quarter and eventually took a 36-32 advantage into the second.

The Thunder pulled even with the Clippers early in the second quarter, but Los Angeles put together another surge and a 12-2 run gave the Clippers their biggest lead of the first half at 62-48 with 2:35 remaining.

Los Angeles maintained a 12-point lead at the half.

Despite their recent success, the Clippers hadn't beaten a team currently in a playoff spot since a 123-112 win at the Boston Celtics on Feb. 9.

source: news.abs-cbn.com