Clips Nation - Clippers-Rockets game coverageWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2015-12-20T00:17:31-08:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/103897852015-12-20T00:17:31-08:002015-12-20T00:17:31-08:00Film Room: When 3's Fly, Clippers Die
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<p>As the Clippers kept attempting to claw back into the game against the Rockets on Saturday night, Trevor Ariza hit three huge threes in the span of 3 minutes to keep them at bay. We're going to watch the three 3's all over again.</p> <p class="pgh-paragraph has-dropcap" id="paragraph0"><font face="verdana">Saturday night’s game wasn’t exactly a fun game to watch. The flow sucked, the way the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> started out the game sucked, and the way the team got back into the game only to get blown out again really sucked. All credit goes to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a>. They exploited mismatches early, mismatches late, and just gave Los Angeles all sorts of fits. What we’re going to watch is a little, roughly, three minute stretch of action as the Clippers were trying their best to get back into the game a little more. It starts off with them down by 8 points. <span>Doc Rivers</span> began the second half with <span>Jamal Crawford</span> at small forward instead of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="www.sbnation.com/nba/players/35092/luc-mbah-a-moute">Luc Mbah a Moute</a>. He thought he needed the offense. However, what Rivers clearly forgot was that defense also matters – and <span>Trevor Ariza</span> exploited that small detail.</font></p>
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<p><font face="verdana">This is frustrating. The Clippers played sound defense for 21.4 seconds out of a 24 second shot clock only to have Trevor Ariza get wide open for a three on a baseline-out-of-bounds (BLOB) play. It’s simple action. It’s really simple. All Ariza does is cut a few feet to his left, step back behind the arc, and splash a three. How did he get so open? Because Jamal Crawford went <i>under</i> a non-screen by <span>Donatas Motiejunas</span> instead of attacking over the non-screen. If he attacks over, it forces Ariza to put the ball on the floor with less than 3 seconds on the shot clock. That’s what you want to do as a defense. You don’t want to let a career 35 percent three-point shooter get a clean look on a play like this. It’s maddening.</font></p>
<p><font face="verdana">Sure, in the grand scheme of things this is a simple three that pushes a lead from 8 to 11. But it was so much more than that. The team had found a way to get the lead under double-digits, and then this happened. Breakdowns like this can’t happen in any game, let alone one you’re trying to mount a comeback in. Maybe going under here is a coaching or schematic decision rather than one by Crawford. However, at a certain point, you have to know better. Attack over the top, force the ball on the floor, and make Ariza drive into the defense for a tougher shot. You absolutely positively cannot let what transpires here actually happen. It’s brutal.</font></p>
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<p><font face="verdana">On this play, the Rockets are trying to get <span>James Harden</span> moving into a pick-and-roll, and they eventually get it. As <span>Jason Terry</span> passes to Motiejunas, Harden is standing in the right corner with <span>J.J. Redick</span> wearing him like a cheap shirt. Motiejunas turns, dribbles to the right wing, and Harden cuts up to receive the hand-off. Motiejunas sets the screen, Redick goes over the top, and Griffin slides to his right to prevent possible paint penetration. It looks like Harden has nowhere to go. However, to Los Angeles’ dismay, Harden finds a passing lane to Ariza on the left wing because Crawford helped down on Harden coming off of the screen. This allows Ariza to get off another open three, which he nails, and Houston pushes their lead from 6 to 9 just like that. </font></p>
<p><font face="verdana">I get it. You want to make other people beat you on the Houston Rockets. Allowing James Harden to get whatever he wants is how a lot of teams lose. But, at the same time, you can’t help one pass away. Not when the guy you’re helping off of just hit a three from that exact same spot roughly 90 seconds earlier. There was no reason for Crawford to even help here. Griffin slid his feet well, denied access to the lane, and it gave Harden almost nowhere to go. The reason it’s <i>“almost nowhere”</i> instead of just <i>“nowhere”</i> is because a passing lane opened up thanks to Crawford. You can’t help like this. It undoes everything everyone else did on this one possession.</font></p>
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<p><font face="verdana">About 90 seconds after the previous play, we see Ariza’s third and final three of this stretch. The Clippers have cut the lead back down to 7, but that’s not about to last too long. Motiejunas runs up to set a screen for Harden, and the Rockets go into their bread-and-butter pick-and-roll action. Motiejunas gets going downhill, the Clippers string Harden out wide to the left, but Harden fires an absolute bullet of a skip pass to Ariza in the right corner. Ariza gets the ball, is wide open, and makes another three as Crawford is too late to contest. The Houston lead is pushed up to 10, and the Clippers would not get the deficit back under double-digits until two minutes to go.</font></p>
<p><font face="verdana">Let’s talk about this play. You do want to help out on the roller here, but you can’t leave someone wide open in the corner like this. If you are going to help on the roller, you have to make damn sure that you can get back to the guy in the corner. What plagues Crawford on this play, though, is that he got way too far away from Ariza, but he also did not get close enough to Motiejunas. He was stuck in no man’s land. There wasn’t even an attempt to really dig down on the roll. He sort of stops halfway there, and then he has nowhere to go. Either help all the way or don’t help at all. Ariza is left too open, yet again, and he knocks down another three because of it. Sometimes you have to know your personnel. The Rockets did. Unfortunately, the Clippers did not.</font></p>
<p><font face="verdana">This wasn’t done to blame Jamal Crawford for Saturday night’s loss. Everyone was culpable both in their play and in their decisions against Houston. No one was without blame. Still, this three minute stretch of action as the Clippers were getting buckets and cutting into the lead really haunted them. They let a solid three-point shooter get off easy looks because a defender chose to play him like he didn’t exist. A lot of this stuff could be fixed, but it’s also been something that’s killed the team all year. Maybe they need to do more scouting on who they’re facing, or maybe they just need to actually be smarter in their decisions overall. Either way, these types of plays are the things bad teams do on a nightly basis. If the Clippers want to improve, it starts with being smarter. It starts from the top. We shall see what changes, if any, are made.</font></p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/12/20/10629170/film-room-how-to-not-defend-trevor-ariza-jamal-crawford-los-angeles-clippers-houston-rocketsJustin Russo2015-12-19T20:16:24-08:002015-12-19T20:16:24-08:00Final: Rockets 107, Clippers 97
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Clippers were clearly tired after last night's tough defeat in San Antonio and couldn't match Houston's energy level as they dropped their second straight game. </p> <p>Led by Dwight Howard's 22 points and 14 rebounds, the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> defeated the L.A. <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> 107-97 Saturday night in Houston. The Clips were able to make a game of it for a while after falling into an early 43-17 hole, but ultimately didn't have enough energy to keep up after playing in San Antonio just 24 hours prior.</p>
<p>The wear-and-tear from last night's game was never more evident than it was in the first. L.A. came out of the gates completely flat on both ends of the floor. The Rockets were able to get whatever they wanted, while the Clips were relegated to taking tough shots. LAC attempted nine threes in the first quarter alone, making just one. Meanwhile, Houston took 17 shots in the paint, making 11. As a result, L.A. was outscored 22-8 in the lane. Luc Mbah a Moute picked up three fouls in the first four minutes, never to be seen again.</p>
<p>The Rockets were also dominating the boards. Houston outrebounded the Clippers by an insane 20-5 margin in the first, including six offensive boards. Fortunately for L.A., the Rockets weren't able to capitalize on those chances, scoring only five second-chance points. Houston was making a point of testing those Clipper tired legs, pushing the pace and trying to force the issue.</p>
<p>Things continued to go down the drain for the Clippers early in the second. <span>Clint Capela</span> was a total handful on both ends, grabbing every rebound in sight while also affecting LAC's shot attempts in the paint. Down 44-23 midway through the second, <span>Doc Rivers</span> decided to do what we all feared: intentionally foul. The final six-plus minutes of the frame lasted an eternity as each team decided against playing actual basketball.</p>
<p>The teams combined to shoot 23 free throws from that point until the end of the first half, and the Clips were actually able to make some hay during that span. They took turns fouling both Howard and Capela, and the two combined to make 8-of-19 from the stripe. On the other end, the Clippers started to find an offensive rhythm, and closed the gap to 57-46 at the break after trailing by as many as 26 earlier in the period.</p>
<p>The "Core Four" Clippers were the ones doing almost all of the damage. <span>Paul Pierce</span> hit a three-pointer with just over a minute to go in the half, which were the only points scored by someone not named Jordan, Griffin, Paul or Redick in the second quarter. Unsurprisingly, they were the only four Clippers to finish the game in double-figures.</p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, Mbah a Moute didn't play after the 6:54 mark of the first. <span>Jamal Crawford</span> started the second half in his place, though was completely ineffective on both ends. Jamal scored just four points on 1-for-8 shooting, all while playing non-existent defense. In nearly 10 minutes of action in the third, Crawford shot 0-for-3 and picked up a rebound.</p>
<p>Both teams sputtered to start the second half, but the Clippers were able to cut the deficit to eight following five straight points from Redick. A trio of <span>Trevor Ariza</span> three-pointers subsequently helped restore the Rockets' advantage, though, and L.A. was never able to truly threaten again. Crawford was "checking" Ariza on each possession, for what it's worth. James Harden was picking the Clippers apart with his passing, as he was repeatedly able to find shooters open on the perimeter. The Beard scored just 18 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the floor, but also chimed-in with a game-high 11 assists. The Rockets extended their lead to 12 at the end of the third after <span>Marcus Thornton</span> stole a rebound away from <span>Lance Stephenson</span> and scored just before the horn. This just about summed up the night for the Clippers. Lance, meanwhile, was scoreless in 20 hapless minutes off-the-bench.</p>
<p>LAC missed a boatload of their attempts short, which is a clear sign that they were tired following last night's war against the Spurs. There's never an excuse for getting blown-out, but it would also be silly to draw too many negative conclusions from this one. Winning on the road is always tough, especially when you're on the second half of a back-to-back while the other team has had a couple of days off. Houston hasn't played well so far this season, but it's still a roster loaded with talent.</p>
<p>As you may expect from a team playing on tired legs, the Clips weren't able to mount much resistance on the boards. Houston crushed them on the glass by a 55-38 margin, including 13-to-7 on the offensive end. Howard and Capela combined to grab 11 of those 13 offensive rebounds and gave the Clippers fits throughout. The "hack-a" strategy didn't pay dividends, either, as the Rockets connected on 31-of-49 foul shots (63%) for the game.</p>
<p>Excluding a couple of positive <span>Josh Smith</span> moments, this was a dismal all-around effort from the bench. The Clipper reserves combined to score 28 points, though most of those came during garbage time when the likes of <span>Cole Aldrich</span> and <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> saw the light of day. To (literally) add injury to insult, <span>Austin Rivers</span> suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury late in the fourth. He had to be helped to the locker room and wasn't putting any weight on that right ankle. No word yet on his status for Monday's game against OKC, but it didn't look good. He was reportedly on crutches in the locker room afterwards.</p>
<p>When you're fatigued, on the road and unable to match your opponent's energy level, more often than not you're going to find yourself on the losing end, as the Clippers (16-12) did tonight. Rather than try and penetrate, the Clippers were quite content to just fire away from the perimeter. They shot just 39% from the floor, and a putrid 29% on a whopping 38 three-point tries. Not exactly a recipe for success. This was always going to be a tough two-game mini road swing, and tonight makes last night's close loss hurt just a little bit more. Here's hoping they can regroup and come out strong when they're back at it against a tough <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> team in Los Angeles Monday night.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/12/19/10628096/los-angeles-clippers-houston-rockets-james-harden-dwight-howard-blake-griffin-chris-paulTaylor C. Smith2015-12-19T00:00:02-08:002015-12-19T00:00:02-08:00Clippers try to even season series against Rockets
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Following last night's tough loss to the Spurs, the Clippers will try to bounce back tonight against the Rockets. </p> <p> </p>
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<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center">
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<th bgcolor="#ED174C" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white">2015-16 NBA Regular Season</font></th>
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<td width="240"><center><img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4241777/rocketslogo.0.png"></center></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><font size="4">vs.</font></th>
<td width="240"><center> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pNgKcumARkMMlXnH_USn43NuMjM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4241779/lacblocklogo.0.png">
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</center></td>
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<td width="240"><center> <b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> (13-14)</b> </center></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center> <b><a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> (16-11</b><b>)</b> </center></td>
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<td bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white"><b>December 19, 2015 — 5:00 PM PDT</b></font></td>
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<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>Toyota Center, Houston, Texas</b></td>
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<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>Prime Ticket, The Beast 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
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<tr>
<th bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white">Win-Loss Breakdown ('15-'16)</font></th>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>13-14</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Record</th>
<td width="240"><b>16-11</b></td>
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<tr>
<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>4-6</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>6-3</b></td>
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<tr>
<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>9-8</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>10-8</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>2-3</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Division</th>
<td width="240"><b>3-3</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>7-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>10-5</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>6-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>6-6</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: start;"><b><span> </span> 4-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>5-7</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b>9-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500–</th>
<td width="240"><b>11-4</b></td>
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<td width="240" align="right"><b>3-0</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">OT</th>
<td width="240"><b>0-0</b></td>
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<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>6-4</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
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<th bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white">Projected Starters</font></th>
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<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Patrick Beverley</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PG</th>
<td width="240"><span><b>Chris Paul</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>James Harden</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SG</th>
<td width="240"><span><b>J.J. Redick</b></span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Trevor Ariza</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SF</th>
<td width="240"><span><b>Luc Mbah a Moute</b></span></td>
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<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Clint Capela</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PF</th>
<td width="240"><span><b>Blake Griffin</b></span></td>
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<td width="240" align="right"><span><b>Dwight Howard</b></span></td>
<th width="20" align="center">C</th>
<td width="240"><span><b>DeAndre Jordan</b></span></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white">Efficiency Stats ('15-'16)</font></th>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="text-align: right;"><b>100.4 (6th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>98.7 (14th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: start;" align="right" width="240"><b><span> </span> 102.2 (11th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">OffRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>104.3 (5th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start;">105.0 (25th)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DefRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>101.5 (15th)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240" style="text-align: right;"><b>-2.8 (21st)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">NetRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>2.8 (9th)</b></td>
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<tr>
<th bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><b><font color="white">Injury Report</font></b></th>
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<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Ty Lawson</span> (suspension) Out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
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</tbody>
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<p> </p>
<p><b>What's new with the Clippers?</b></p>
<p>The Clippers come into this one having drawn the short end of the stick. Playing the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> in San Antonio is a rough task for any team, but having to play again the next night somewhere else isn't ideal, either. Despite the loss, it was encouraging seeing the Clips stick with the Spurs in San Antonio, where they're still unbeaten on the season. The "Core Four" Clipper starters each had to play at least 33 minutes last night, so we'll see how much they have left in the tank on the second half of this back-to-back.</p>
<p>Regardless, the team is still 7-3 over its last 10 games and has been looking considerably more cohesive than they did early in the year.</p>
<p><b>What's new with the Rockets? </b></p>
<p>To be blunt, this season has been a chaotic disaster for the Rockets. They fired <span>Kevin McHale</span> 11 regular season games removed from their surprising trip to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, replacing him with <span>J.B. Bickerstaff</span>. The team has played a bit better under the interim coach (4-7 under McHale, 9-7 under Bickerstaff), but they've still yet to look anything close to the team that was one step from the Finals just a few months ago.</p>
<p>GM Daryl Morey is a notorious roster tinkerer, but he opted for continuity this past offseason rather than trying to overhaul everything. The lone "splash" the team made was trading a slew of spare parts to Denver in exchange for embattled point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson's brief stint in Houston has been atrocious, and he's reportedly already been put on the trading block after having his role diminished considerably. He's also suspended for this one in light of recent DUI conviction.</p>
<p>Houston has a grand total of two wins of at least 10 points this season, though both have come in the last week against the woeful <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a>. Considering the Lakers aren't really an NBA team, that hardly counts. However, they did take the first meeting with the Clippers this season back at STAPLES Center in early November. James Harden dropped 46 points while Dwight Howard chimed-in with 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game Chris Paul missed due to a groin injury. It was a close affair throughout that went Houston's way late, thanks in large part to a<a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/11/9/9699266/los-angeles-clippers-goaltending-houston-rockets-blake-griffin-dwight-howard"> missed goaltending call</a> on Howard that would've given the ball back to the Clippers with just seconds remaining.</p>
<p><b>Battle of the boards</b></p>
<p>These are two of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Houston comes into this one ranked 23rd in team rebound rate (48.4), while the Clippers are 27th (47.7). The Rockets got the better of the Clips on the glass in the first showdown this season by a 47-41 margin. While Houston is a terrible defensive rebounding team, they're actually one of the better teams on the offensive boards, ranking 6th in offensive rebound rate (25.4). They reeled-in a ridiculous 23 offensive rebounds in their last game (against the Lakers, but still), leading to 28 second-chance points.</p>
<p>The starting combo of Howard and Clint Capela is proficient at playing volleyball on the offensive glass. It's going to be crucial for DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and the rest of the Clippers to be focused on securing defensive rebounds in this one. Houston is a bad shooting team (22nd in FG%, 19th in 3P%), obviously resulting in plenty of rebounding opportunities. If L.A. can cut-down on Houston's second-chance chances, they'll improve their odds of coming up with a win considerably.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, though, the Rockets don't clean the defensive glass well. <span>Doc Rivers</span> doesn't prioritize offensive rebounding as he'd rather have his team get back on defense in order to prevent transition opportunities for the opponent. As a result, the Clips don't crash the glass much. As eloquently explained by our own Justin Russo <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/12/4/9852298/data-says-the-los-angeles-clippers-should-go-after-more-offensive-rebounds-not">here</a>, the Clippers actually fare pretty well on the offensive boards they do chase. These Rockets are vulnerable in this area, and LAC should try and take advantage. It's a risk, especially when you consider that Houston plays at one of the league's quickest paces, but the Clips should look for any edge they can possibly gain.</p>
<p><b>Keep Harden out of the paint</b></p>
<p>James Harden shot 14-of-26 against the Clips in the season's first meeting on November 7th, including 5-of-10 from three. Here's his full shot plot, courtesy of NBA.com:</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-yEfUXO21LF-K386A_e7GIfFh-Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5838887/Harden_chart.0.jpeg">
</figure>
</p>
<p>That's an awful lot of green, particularly in the paint. A whopping 12 of Harden's shot attempts came in the lane, and the four he missed were right around the bucket. He was on fire from everywhere on the floor in this game, but that's not indicative of how he's been all year long. Below is his full season shot chart:</p>
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<p>Yuck. Not a whole lot of green there, which makes sense considering he's shooting just 41% from the floor this season. Harden hasn't finished at the rim particularly well (52.6%), but you can see that's where he's still taking the majority of his shots. It's a must for the Clipper defenders to try and force him to take outside looks rather than allowing him to waltz into the lane, as he did in the last matchup.</p>
<p>On the other end, the Clippers should also be looking to exploit Harden's "defense". After playing respectable D a year ago, The Beard has apparently decided he doesn't care to defend anymore. The Twitter memes are as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDiQQRa6OE">prevalent</a> as ever. He's been allowing his man to get to the rim whenever he wants all year long. The Clippers don't have many wingers that like to drive, but those that do (<span>Austin Rivers</span>, <span>Jamal Crawford</span>, <span>Lance Stephenson</span>) should be attacking Harden whenever possible.</p>
<p>The Rockets have been one of the NBA's worst defensive teams this season, and Harden's a big reason for it.</p>
<p><b>Game day song of choice</b></p>
<p>We typically think of Texas the as, "aw, shucks, country, y'all!" capital of the world, and there's definitely plenty of that in Houston. That's not all, though. It's also developed into a fairly notorious rap scene in recent years, with such luminaries as Bun B, Slim Thug, Scarface and Pimp C all hailing from H-Town. We'll go in another direction, though.</p>
<p>Beyoncé is from Houston. Her husband used to be a part owner of the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nets</a>. A basketball tie-in! Here's some random song from YouTube:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rVFyogh_YNE" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Win Butler is a huge basketball fan, and is often seen courtside at <a href="https://www.thebirdwrites.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pelicans</a> games. Here he is participating in last year's Celebrity All-Star Game:</p>
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<p>Looking athletic there, Win. He lives in New Orleans, but was raised in The Woodlands, Texas, right outside of Houston. Arcade Fire > any rap (not debatable), so this takes the cake. Plus, another obvious basketball tie-in!</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ix_iCDqWWs0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Clips-Rockets gets underway from Houston at 5pm PT. Let's all watch and enjoy together. Go Clippers.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/12/19/10314712/los-angeles-clippers-houston-rockets-preview-james-harden-blake-griffin-chris-paul-dwight-howardTaylor C. Smith