Clippers ground the Rockets 134-117

They have won sixteen of nineteen. They are searching with just two games remaining in the regular season, and they close out the regular season here and into a Dome, winning thirteen of their last fourteen games here. They ended up going thirty and eleven in their new home. They are in this position currently in the five spot in the West. Without this home court advantage, without the wall, the swell, without Clipper Nation embracing their new and first

ever home Thank you, Steve Balmer. It worked, it was successful, and I can't wait to see what it looks like in a playoff setting. That's what I'm looking forward to next. But the Clippers still have work to do. They got help tonight from San Antonio off a Harrison Barnes game winning three pointer up in San Francisco to beat the

Golden State Warriors. That means if the Clippers can win in Sacramento on Friday, even if Golden State beats him on Sunday, they can't move ahead of them in the standings. Huge implications there with that loss tonight by at Golden State Warriors. In this win by your LA Clippers six straight sixteen of nineteen, they have been top two in offense and defensive rating over the last eighteen games heading into this ballgame, and they was stood a fifty three

point shooting night from the Houston Rockets. No, they didn't have all their guys, they were resting, but Reed Shepherd went off. He had twenty They had six to three pointers. I mean he hit a three pointer in the face of Kawhi Leonard just unconscious. Jeff Green went for his season high of nineteen, four of six from the outside, Aaron Holliday sixteen, four of six from the outside. They rose to the occasion. They're tough the Clippers, though they

matched them, they didn't let up. Nothing is more encouraging from this Clippers team than playing the way they are leading into the playoffs and consistently not having letdowns. Right now, even when a team shoots fifty percent from three, the Clippers don't have a letdown. Incredible Clippers. In that first quarter, I thought they could pull away early. James Harden was found on a three pointer and at one point they

led by ten at twenty two to twelve. But the Houston Rockets weren't going anywhere, and they would show that hot shooting early in the first where by the end of the quarter after a holiday three, even though hard would match him with a three pointer. On the other end, I read chep three a turnover, a Shepherd steal for an easy one, and the Clippers, after leading by ten in the first quarter, are only up thirty six to thirty five. You could tell right away this was different.

Houston started seven of ten from three. They were scorching hot. I believe they would then go one for their next eight, but the three ball would return Nko Batoum, who I just saw, who was walking around here on the court. Hear at into a dome or near it and said postgame he's good. After not playing in the second half after a groin issue some soreness, Niko Batoum gave them

a huge lift. They needed all of his fifteen points in the first half, where he cooked and went four a five from three, He got fouled on one for a four point play. He made another three. Eventually it was reviewed, they took it away. They called it a two pointer. An incredible lift from Saint Nick because after the Rockets got a three to start the second quarter from Jeff Green and it hit seven of their first

ten from the outside. Then it was Nico's turn. He hit a three to make it thirty nine thirty eight. Clippers another three forty two to thirty eight. Kawhi misses a floater and then Nico gets fouled on a three on the same possession, gets the four point play. Clippers up by six. My goodness, though Jeff Green then hits another three. They started eight to thirteen from three. The

Clippers are seven of thirteen they're matching them. They have been playing like anything you can do, I can do better. Whatever it takes, we don't care. But Tom hit another three. Then on the right wing forty eight to forty two. Clippers Tate leap for Houston. Four point game. Then we saw Kawhi get busy a little bit. Near the end of the second quarter. The Clippers led fifty four to forty eight. It's a six point game. Avitza Zubas heads to the free throw line, hits a couple. Is an

eight point game. Kawhi gets a rebound and goes hard in transition, splits the defense and just dunks on multiple guys. Reed Shepherd and Dante were there, didn't matter. Kawhi another steal, missed a three, but then Harden gets a steal and Kawhi leonards still on the other end, cherry picking long outlet pass from Harden, Kawhi layup eight oh run sixty to forty eight. Kawhi was playing with force and had six points in the final three minutes of the second quarter.

Started to wake up. He also found Aviasta Zubas on a nice pass for a push shot, but the Clippers eventually went on an eighteen to two run. During that stretch I'm talking about, Harden found Zoo for a big dunk. They're up sixty six to fifty. Eventually they're up sixty eight to fifty off an eighteen to two run. By the end of the half, after it was just a four point game, they were up seventy one to fifty eight.

Then we got the bad news though, with Nico sore right growing out for the remainder of the ball game. He was critical in the first half. He gave him fifteen. He did enough, said postgame he'll be good. Harden floater to start the third quarter, Harden fouls gets fouled on a three to four point play seventy seven fifty eight. Then after a steal by eathen On Kawhi for a runout layup far too easy seventy seven to sixty two.

Kawai comes back, turns the corner on one of the better defenders in the league, Atari Easton, who a lot of people have compared to Kawhi Leonard. He turned the corner on him something fierce and threw it down with a right handed dunk. Dun Will miss a three on the other end, but dounk came into this ballgame hitting eighteen of his last thirty nine from the outside, so now it's nineteen of his last forty from three over

his last eleven games Houston. Though, even with the Clippers playing this well, even with their hot shooting, they just refuse to go away. There was a wild player, a no call on a dangerous play that I couldn't believe in this ballgame where Harden got stripped by Nate Williams and Whitmore got clipped by DJ in transition on a dunk. He fell to the ground awkwardly. I was glad he

was okay. It was a no call. It was kind of unbelievable, and it led to a Chris Dune three on the other end, and the Clippers had their biggest lead at eighty six to sixty seven in the third. Nineteen was their largest lead in the ballgame. They called a time out right afterwards and then went more cut. A lob Zu got a floater off a hardened feed in the pick and roll to make it eighty eight to sixty nine. But then Bogie came in for Chris

Dunn at the five point thirty mark. Bogey starwed this ballgame zero for four, and you could see they ran a play to him right away. When he came back late in the third, he got a reverse leg up. Ninety two to seventy five. Clippers rockets three, ninety two to seventy eight. Harden lobbed to Zoo, but he couldn't corral. It was a little bit too high. Aaron Holiday hits a three. He's about to go on a run. It's ninety two and eighty one. Clippers were just up by nineteen.

Timeout Clippers DJ lefty floater. It's Zubot's hardened DJ. Kobe Brown in and Bogeye on the floor. Aaron Holiday scoop layup. It's a nine point game. Zoo gets to his double double at this point, his thirteenth in a row, longest streak of his career double double wise. Kobe Brown then gets a layup going to his right after the Clippers went over two minutes scoreless to make it ninety four to eighty three. Aaron Holiday three again, This is not

the Hall Day vacation I was looking for. Holiday made it ninety four to eighty six, Clippers DJ three to answer it, Holiday lay up the other way. What an Aaron Holiday score here, two, three, five seven. He had ten points in the span of like two minutes for the Houston Rockets. Late in the third quarter, Hardwood goes to the free throw line, hit both as the Clippers were nineteen of nineteen to the charity stripe, and then Kobe Brown after he got the layup, hit a three

pointer one O two eighty eight. This was the best sequence I would say of his career so far. They needed him. It's the second I have of back to back. NK goes out viatzuz Zubas played heavy minutes last night, and Kobe Brown answered the bell. He rose to the occasion. Jock Landale hit a three on the other end to answer it. Bogey hit a three to answer that, and the Clippers are up fourteen at one five to ninety one entering the fourth. Aaron Holiday three to start the

fourth quarter. It's one O four to ninety five. Then a careless Chris Dunn turnover in the backcourt. Jeff Green Steel easy runout nine point game. U Banks tries to find Kawhi who's short with it. Kawhi Bogie done, Brown and you Banks are out there to start the fourth. It is a six point game. After a reed Shepherd three that made it one oh five to ninety nine. Bogee, big game, Bogee big shot. Answers with a three right away.

Clippers are up one o eight to one hundred. Early fourth and Kawhi went to the hoop for a huge throwdown. He got fouled. He didn't get the dunk. I believe it was with his left hand, but oh my god, the force he came with for that throwdown. It would have been his best since the dunk on the Celtics last year. He had bad intentions, went to the free throw line, hit. Both Clippers are up by ten. Bogie

gets a steal, gets fouled after Kawhi three. The Clippers are up by fifteen at one fifteen to one hundred. They're starting to gain some separation. The game is turning into triple double watch with Aviatsa zubats.

he was gonna lose it. They were blitzing and trapping him and trying to get the ball out of his hands, and somehow he was stood that got it back, but then missed the jumper. Green hit a three. It's eleven point game again as Jeff Green Uncle Jeff was hitting knocking him down and had his season high in this game of nineteen and Harden hit a calming right elbow jumper, just a silencer shot to put him back up by thirteen. Then Harden had a great feed to Drew u Banks

for an easy right handed layup. Kawhi, though, gambled right afterwards and Jeff Green got by him in transition for a dunk, but out of a timeout it was a Kawhi layup a bogie three, and the Clippers were up one twenty six to one twelve. Late in the fourth over, and Kawhi almost had another huge putback dunk on a DJ miss on a three pointer on the far side corner.

I mean the explosiveness, the bounce, the pop from Kawhi was special tonight now what we're watching is if it beats A Zubots is gonna end up getting his first triple double. He would off of a three pointer late from Bogee on the left wing, his buddy. They left him out there to get the triple double. He got it. Congrats to a Eatsa Zubots. He finished with oh you know, twenty eleven, ten assists, nine to thirteen, shooting first triple

double of his career. As Bogie was so clutched in the second half after starting four, he would hit five of his seven shots in the second half and get to sixteen points, his final three points coming on that three pointer to get Aviatza Zubots his first triple double as he made the assist in the pass over to his buddy in Bogee and the Clippers go on to win one thirty four to one seventeen. Hear it into a dome over the Houston Rockets. Quick time out, We'll

come back more Clippers dock. I'm out of maslans and you're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers audio network At an five seventy, LA Sports.

into a home that got things started. They've now won thirteen to the last fourteen here and they went thirty and seven after losing the first four games. Into a home. The Dome is home. There's no place like dome. The into a Dome eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. The good news is this, Nico Batoum said postgame. He's feeling okay and he'll be fine. Tweet is right growing, Tweet is growing. Coach lou said, not sure yet on how severe the right growing injury

is but Nico said he'll be fine Coach Lou. About Coach Lou on leaving of East zou bots In to get that triple double postgame quote, Yeah, I usually don't like doing that bad karma, but he had a chance earlier this season and I took him out, so I gave him one more play. That was huge for Zoo and huge for our team and the morale of our team. Look at Bogey's face when he hits that shot. He doesn't even care Harry hit the three. He cares that because he hit the three. It gotta beat to Zubas

his first triple double ever and the season. This remarkable for the Clippers, and especially beats to Zubas individually with his growth, and he talked about it postgame last night. But a lot of this is just bigger opportunity, been waiting for it. He ends up with a triple double. Now unbelievable. Eight six six ninety seven two five seventy. Jose and Southgate, Jose, you're on Clippers, stop with out of Mazin.

to throw it down was big. Another one where he missed a floater a little while after that and then got his own rebound and threw it down with the right hand in the first half was big. And then turning the corner on tari Yeason in the second half or a right hand and throw down. This is last year's Kawhi. What did I say all season long? If he gets back to last year's version, the Clippers are in business. Yeah, they can contend in the Western Conference.

He looks just as good as that stretch we saw last season where he set the all time efficiency record over thirty games. Special special for the Clippers to be peaking at the right time to have a chance at the four to the five spot in the Western Conference. They're currently fifth, they went out. I don't believe they can be worse than fifth. If they get a loss from Denver and went out, I believe they'll be fourth.

I say I believe because you know, if you look at some of the seating implications and who needs to win and who do you need to lose, it's a mess. I'm looking for Justin Russo for a clarity tweet regarding what the Clippers need now to end up in the fourth spot or the five spot, because things are still close. Denver one tonight against Sacramento, where the Clippers will be on Friday night. Let's take a quick time out. We'll

come back beats. Zubas gets his first triple double and gave the game ball away to a kid as he was walking into the tunnel. More assists for Big Zoo. I guess he knows, you know, I'll get another one. It's not that big of a deal. With the way he is blossoming in front of our eyes right now, I don't doubt it. They had five assists last night. Clippers win by seventeen over the Houston Rockets. Here it into a dome. I'm out a Maslems and you're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network O.

The Rockets, in all four games this season against the Clippers have shot no worse than forty eight percent from three. They are a bottom ten three point shooting team. That is wild. That is just some real bad luck. Let's go to Matt in La Matt near a Clippers stop with out of Malsen.

in the postseason. But I do want to appreciate how good this Clippers team has been. They're forty eight wins, guys, They're ten wins up on where they're over. Under was set around thirty seven and a half wins. There are ten wins above that. Just incredible. I can't say enough about the heart of this team, the way they have been able to be resilient with only having Kawhi for thirty five games. Norreon pal has missed twenty plus games now wasn't able to go tonight right shoulder issue, but

coach lou said he's good, He's all right. Houston Rockets weren't playing anybody. Clippers saw that they get by. They did get by Nico, but Toomb's okay. But the growth of a beats the Zoubots. You know, That's that's how a lot of this season is going to be remembered. The workhorse that James Harden has been for this team, and Kawhi getting back to looking like himself over the last fifteen games or so where now the Clippers have

won sixteen of their last nineteen. It's just a group that has come together and they truly believe they can do something special. If you listen to Norman Powell last night in the locker room afterwards, he said it. He thinks they have that championship pedigree. He thinks they have what it takes. He knows what it takes. He won

in Toronto with Kawhi and twenty nineteen. So while we celebrate what this Clippers team has done during the regular season with two games left, because this is the final regular season game here at into it dumb, there's also much to look for two so Clippers have a very good chance of finishing outside of the plan, which has been the goal. And the sense of urgency you've seen over the last couple of weeks where they won six straight, is because they don't want to end up seventh or

eighth in the Western Conference. And since they put that pressure on themselves to win, they've looked better than ever and I think that's very telling. The stakes have raised and the Clippers did not shrink. No, they're playing better because they have to right now. They don't have a choice. These are must win games if you want to stay out of the plan. That's what I'm most encouraged about. That's the type of stuff that can translate to the postseason.

Clippers win one point thirty four to one seventeen over the Houston Rockets, quick time out, come back, We'll close things out. Hear it into a dome. I'm at a Maslind and you're listening to Clippers talk. You're on the five seventy LAS Sports.

This was his dream to create a real home court advantage, not just to give them their own arena, but to have it in a unique way that sets itself apart from everything else, that makes it special Declipper Nation and makes it difficult for opponents. The wall has done that. How loud this place gets because of the design. It's just been a remarkable inaugural year here at into a

dome for the Clippers. It beats. The Zubats got his first triple double, another special night here, twenty eleven ten assists and Bogdan Bogdanovich gave it to him hitting that three pointer near the end of the ball game where they kept Big Zoo in for him to attain this goal. Zubat said postgame he told Bogi He's never paying for a dinner again after making that three pointer to secure Vats the Zubas's first triple double. James Harden spoke postgame

about how this Clippers team has impacted him. Quote, man, it's special, really just giving yourself up for something bigger. Coming into this season. It was no expectations for this team, for real. You look at the standings. They predicted us to be thirteenth seed or twelve seed in the West. Being around these guys from day one, it started in Arizona when I put that mini camp together, and then going into training camp and seeing we got something special,

We got some dogs in the locker room. Here we are with an opportunity to be a four or five seed in the West and have a pretty good run in this postseason. They've impacted me in a positive way. They've made me locking on both ends of the ball and really just have that competitive mindset to want to go out and do whatever it takes to win. And that's the beauty of a team. Unquote. Awesome statement there from James Harden. He gifted everybody a pair of his

signature V nine shoes. By the way, James Harden been a blessing for this team. He's just a tank. He's just a regular season floor raser. Like we haven't seen his team's never missed the playoffs. Looks like it's about to happen again. Yeah, you have James Harden, You're making the playoffs. This was supposed to be the year where that no longer was the case according to the critics,

where they didn't have enough. Well, Lawrence Frank came out and put together a roster that was going to have a defensive identity thanks to Chris Dunn, dj Niko batoumb being back, Jeff Van Gundhi in the fold. They were going to commit to being great on the defensive end, and James Harden pointed out they even got me playing some defense here, and he has, Like, you can't be the second best defense in the league if the guy who plays the most minutes for your team is never

playing defense, it doesn't work that way. He has done enough on that end. But offensively, of course, him being that floor raiser and having a system to play through has made the Clippers a problem for teams. You know they're going to get stops on you. You know they're going to struggle at times. When they didn't have Kawhi Leonard. They did, they were around nineteenth twentieth, but they were

good enough. They were competent enough on the offensive end, and a lot of that is due to James Harden Nolmaran Powell, especially earlier in the season of Eats a zoobots. But I mean, Harden is the system for a reason. It's all flowing through him. Like this is an incredible season from a thirty five year old who has the usage rating of a twenty five year old. That's why he was an All Star. He should be third team All NBA. I think if Eats Zubats has a case

for being third team. He also has a case for Defensive Player of the Year. Making an All defensive team, most improved player, all those things are on the table, but still two games to go. I don't want to reminisce too much about this season. There is work to be done in Sacramento Golden Won Center. They got a home court there too. And the Clippers cannot look past this Kings team, who if they play the same guys they've played against Denver tonight, they have enough talent to

beat you. They do. And the Clippers have been on this five game homestand the road hasn't always been as kind to them this season, but they've been much better as of late. Well, they need to continue to play great on the road because that is a game that cannot turn into a trap game. Treat it the exact same way, must win. Coach Luke came into the locker room yesterday at halftime after San Antonio was trailing by just two against the Clippers and said, we have a

chance to do something special. Come on, let's go. And they came out own that third quarter, played much better defense, created seven turnovers with the Spurs, and they got back to basics. Playing good defense. The defense leads to offense. They know what they gotta do on Friday night, execute, get it done. That four seed, that carrot that is dangling, it is waiting to be had. Clippers got to go

for it. Why because we've seen the difference here it into a dome, if you got home court in a seven game series in the first round, something incomprehensible to many in Clipper Nation coming into this season. Nobody would have thought that was possible. But with what we've seen with this home court advantage here and into a dome, that would mean everything to get home court in the

first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Clippers win won thirty four to one to seventeen over the Houston Rockets. They've won six straight sixteen of nineteen, and they head to Sacramento, head to Norcale for their final two tip off against the Kings Friday night at seven. Pregame show at six. Before we get out of here, I do want to thank the Clippers organization. Ralph Lawler, Brian Seeman, Noah Eagle. We saw tonight. Check out the pregame show.

We chatted it up with Noah Eagle, Caylojmenez on the call, Big Brother, Jake Warner, head engineer, Daniel west Our producer back in the bank. I'm at a maslin. You know. We'll be back on the YouTube side tomorrow. I'll talk to you then.